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.
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406 comments Add your comment
Adam
June 17th, 2009
6:50 pm
GUT THE COACHING STAFF, POSITION PLAYERS (INCLUDING CHIPPER) AND THE BULLPEN.
Ned Yost might be a good candidate to manage… bring back Pat Corrales and Leo Mazzone!
Starters are fine, although we need a lefty. Keep Soriano in the ‘pen. Keep McLouth to play LF, Escobar at SS and McCann at C. Put Infante at 2B. Then bring up the young guys like we did with Furcal — guys like Schafer, Freeman, Heyward (when he’s healthy), Cody Johnson, even Rourbaugh. It couldn’t be any worse. Maybe keep Ross as backup catcher, Diaz as your top PH and Prado as your utilityman. That’s it.
YOUNG, EXCITING AND UPCOMING TEAMS ARE MUCH MORE EXCITING TO FANS. Look how giddy some of us are about the Falcons this coming season! Remember Deion riding someone’s back piggy back after that win in Cincinnati in ‘91? THAT WAS REFRESHING AND EXICITING.
Enough of this group. Those of you who think Chipper is untouchable. . .
This is the last shot to get anything of value for him. He has major durability issues and haven’t you noticed a decrease in range at third?
Right now he’d be a great DH — how ’bout Tampa Bay — we could get some of their YOUNG TALENT!
It’s like the old adage with Bob Horner — we would finish last with him, last without him.
We’ll finish fourth with Chipper, fourth without him.
Keef1234
June 17th, 2009
6:50 pm
as previuosly stated…without new ownership we ARE cooked. Losing Teixeira was a disasterous deal and Blank nor Ted would have allowed that to happen…
I love the lying from the front office last winter: “Liberty has not given us a number for payroll. we will receive what is needed to put a championship team on the field no matter what it takes…” HAHAHAHAA! If the Braves can’t sell out playoff or World Series games, THEY ARE GOING TO ABANDON A FOURTH OR 5TH team…Look out…here come the Hartford Braves! (see Boston, Milwaukee…Atlanta…)
bruce
June 17th, 2009
6:55 pm
Mark,
I am enjoying reading your responses this year… thanks. I was in Baltimore for those three and I am still discouraged by those two losses. Maybe it is sinking in that we are done unless something big changes… maybe a major Philly injury or a couple of positive streaks getting the whole team going in the right direction… feels like the negative streaks have us going in a sad direction… I did decide to buy a ticket for the nats-smoltz game next week… crazy Boston prices on stubhub so I bought from the nats. Gonna wear my smoltz T shirt. sorry to read that you and he do not get along well, but I appreciate your telling like it is.
Paul Lentz
June 17th, 2009
7:01 pm
Once again, I see Jeff Francoeur playing right field, batting 7th. It sickens me, as a TRUE Braves fan, to see the Braves not play the better player (Matt Diaz is a better player than Jeff Francoeur). I dont care how strong Francoeur’s arm is. You have to score runs to win games. Ryan Howard is probably one of the worst 1st basemen in baseball. However, he MORE than makes up for his defensive deficiencies by knocking in a lot of runs.
If Matt Diaz were given a chance to play everyday, I feel that his hitting would be much better than Francoeur’s. Diaz has a little pop in his bat, which is far more than I can say about Jeff “punch and Judy singles” Francoeur.
Fred
June 17th, 2009
7:11 pm
Most of the players and all the coaches are in a comfort zone.If Johnson and Francouer felt the pressure of produce or sit maybe they would show some improvement.Even Chipper,if he understood,during the off season fix your body so barely 2 weeks into the season you don’t hear about his strained oblique or foot problem.The team needs a shake-up,something to light a fire under them.Players that had that lighting rod sort of personality,that would get in somebody’s face are shipped away so as to not disturb the calm and comfort(David Justice,Jermaine Dye,Dion Sanders).Those guys would call a guy out and back their words up.Too many times after a Johnson or Francouer strike out or bad at bat,you here yells from Cox of atta boy and you hit hard instead of question why if you made an out it was not a productive out.
I respect what Cox has done in the past,but its time for a shake up.
Rufus
June 17th, 2009
7:12 pm
There’s a lot the Braves could do they just don’t want to face the reality of it.
Like getting rid of Cox, Pendleton, Johnson, Francoeur, Anderson, Kotchman, who can’t hit, and a couple of more.
Bobby has his favorite club, who can do no wrong.
Last year the same thing, over using pitchers, leaving in guys can can’t hit over their weight.
Cox, will bench Escobar, but won’t bench Anderson, or anyone else.
The Announcers are always sticking up Chipper, blaming the lost on one player, when the Braves blow the game 10 runs or more.
Anyway the Braves were out of it before spring training.
b52's
June 17th, 2009
7:15 pm
Get rid of Wren.
HeadingOutTheDoor
June 17th, 2009
7:16 pm
Enter your comments here
Drixie
June 17th, 2009
7:16 pm
The Braves are not out of it this season for a few reasons: 1) The starting pitching is solid if not great; 2) When everyone is healthy there is enough offense to score the 4-5 runs per game that will keep us in most games; and 3) Neither The Phils, Mets or Marlins are dominant teams. It will take about 90 wins to take the NL East. The problem with The Braves is they can’t seem to put it all together for a sustained period of good baseball. I don’t know if it’s any one thing, or maybe it’s just a little bit of deficiencies in every facet of the game. I’m not ready to count them out, but I’m not real optimistic about their chances. BTW, I’m not ready to concede to The Phils, Mets or Marlins with their obvious deficiencies either.
Base
June 17th, 2009
7:31 pm
Lets not forget that hitting is the problem and Pendleton has never got the jon done.he has screwed up Jeff F bad.Why do good batters turn bad in Atlanta.Tex has been good everywhere but here.
Shamus Thacker
June 17th, 2009
7:39 pm
They also take series off against crap teams.
HeadingOutTheDoor
June 17th, 2009
7:41 pm
Bobby, sign me up. Like most of your players, give me a position I didn’t earn. I’ll show up, but don’t expect too much. And, as one of
your favorites, I want to play every day. And, if my play stinks, don’t even think about sending me down to AAA. It’s great to be a starter for the Braves.
Bravos
June 17th, 2009
7:49 pm
Question for the fantasy leaguers:
What is a realistic deal that could be done for OF from another team? And is it better to focus on power or average or speed? i.e. .270 hitter w/ 30 HR? or .290 avg. w/ 20 hr?
Michael
June 17th, 2009
7:49 pm
I heard Costco had Braves gear all marked down yesterday.
BT
June 17th, 2009
7:50 pm
Thanks Mark you are definitely the most prolific of all sports guys. As I write this it is now 1-0 will that be enough to lose again. The Braves may be out “only” 6.5 games but for that we can thank the phillies for being up and down. If we make a trade now we are only fooling ourselves somewhat like the short term results of the McClouth trade. If we wait until closer to the deadline we can get a heck of a lot more for Vasquez. I mention him only because we are running out of valuable trading commodities. Teams are not lined up to give us .300 hitters for either Frenchy or KJ.
The folks demanding the coaching staff be fired is amusing. About as much chance of that happening is very close to that of sending Chipper and McCann to Rome. I really can’t believe Bobby is having a great time managing this time like he has said in the past. I expect a new staff next year.
jnp
June 17th, 2009
7:50 pm
baseball is simple and weare simply awful, fundamentals are lacking and that starts and ends with the manager and his coaches. bobby has seen his best years and there will be no more , the game moves on and mediocrity at best is whats left for the woeful braves and their beleaguered fans
Dont matter what my name is!
June 17th, 2009
7:54 pm
The Braves have been bad ever since Ted sold the team. Bobby was a good manager when he had good players. This team on the other hand has no chemistry and Bobby isn’t a good manager with lazy players who don’t have to worry about being benched or sent down. Thus, I agree it is at least time for Bobby to go and get a manager in here that can manage inferior talent. I don’t care to watch another game!
BT
June 17th, 2009
7:55 pm
We have three hitters: Chipper, Brian and Escobar. When Ross plays we can add another. I hope nobody ever says on this or DOB’s blog that G Anderson is a professional hitter. Good hitters are insulted when that is said.
Rufus
June 17th, 2009
7:58 pm
Let’s put Rose on First Base…….
Dawg95
June 17th, 2009
7:59 pm
Anybody remember the infield lineup of our dynasty teams? Sid Bream, Mark Lemke, Rafael Belliard, Chipper, and Greg Olson. I would put our infield now way way way above that lineup in terms of hitting!! These guys just need to get their crap together and start producing! Wren has given us the players. We definitely have the pitching. We just need a spark, and this team will catch on fire!!
Rufus
June 17th, 2009
8:04 pm
The is the problem, the Braves already catch fire, they’re going up in smoke.
BT
June 17th, 2009
8:05 pm
Dawg95 I hate to disagree with you since I am a UGA alum but I don’t see our infield better than the one you mentioned. Lemke and Belliard could not hit a lick, especially Belliard but they could move a base runner over, they knew how to sacrifice, they would work counts etc. Chipper was Chipper. Bream would give you absolutely everything he had and I don’t remember Olson playing the infield.
JimC
June 17th, 2009
8:08 pm
They were out of the race before the season started. Period.
John
June 17th, 2009
8:10 pm
I believe the answer is simple. “Team Ownership” You have to have an owner who cares about winning! There was this Home Depot guy who showed some interest, my thoughts are he would develop a winner.
Dawg95
June 17th, 2009
8:16 pm
BT…Go dawgs! Olson was the catcher. I think McCann is a little better than he was. Belliard was two feet tall and was an almost automatic out. I’d take Escobar over Belliard at the plate anyday. Bream was over the hill, but did make an effort. I’d still take Kotchman over him anyday. That leaves Lemke. He didn’t perform very well at the plate throughout the season, but gave us some big hits in the clutch. I’d call him and KJ a wash.
McCann-Olson
Kotchman-Bream
Johnson-Lemke
Escobar-Belliard
Chipper-Chipper/Pendleton
Come on now….
P Rose
June 17th, 2009
8:17 pm
McClouth’s Gonna Do It Again
Well, the train to Lawrenceville is runnin’ right on time
Now that Schafer boy has got a better frame of mind
People up in Michigan can’t be still
When Josh Anderson’s givin’ Tiger fans a thrill
People down in Texas come from near and far
To see Andruw Jones hit – how bizarre!
We wear ‘em down
We kill centerfielders
In this town, we run ‘em down into the ground
They leave Atlanta, then they rebound
And Bobby Cox is confounded
Remember Kenny Lofton?
Well McClouth’s gonna do it again
Nate was lookin’ good in Pittsburgh P.A.
He won a gold glove with his all-star play
Traded to the Braves and you can bet, for sure
He’s up there hackin’ like Jeff Francoeur
And soon as he leaves this town in shame
He’s probably headed to the Hall of Fame
We wear ‘em down
We kill centerfielders
In this town, we run ‘em down into the ground
They leave Atlanta, then they rebound
And Bobby Cox is confounded
Remember Marquis Grissom?
Well McClouth’s gonna do it again
WiffleBallMan
June 17th, 2009
8:17 pm
The bats are about to get hot, baby. Please, we are 5 1/2 games
out of first and it’s not even all-star break. 3/4 of the line up
know how to swing the big bat. It’s about to come together I can feel
it. See ya’ at the Ted next week.
BT
June 17th, 2009
8:20 pm
Dawg95 catcher is part of the battery not the infield but no big deal. you have some very good points but Lemke would have brought Frenchy in this inning, Johnson’s at bat was pitiful and our inning was disgraceful after Frenchy’s at bat.
BT
June 17th, 2009
8:21 pm
Dawg95, I totally agree about Escobar, he may be a head case but he can seriously hit.
varodrunner
June 17th, 2009
8:22 pm
HOw’s that for baseball? Franceoour hussles and takes asvantage of a bad outfield play by Tavares – ends up on 3B and the Braves cannot get him in. Kelly pops up. Vazquez opos up and then McClouth pops up. Manon third withno outs and nothing to show for it
Mark Bradley
June 17th, 2009
8:26 pm
That’s great baseball — if you root for the Reds, like my father-in-law.
varodrunner
June 17th, 2009
8:31 pm
As you all can see, I can’t type when they play like that
TROTTINGHOME
June 17th, 2009
8:32 pm
Bradley, you won’t talk bad about Bobby, that is for sure.
Smitty
June 17th, 2009
8:35 pm
Mark, you are unquestionably literate and clever. Whether you are smart or insightful is up for debate as is the question of whether you just mouth the same junk as most other sports writers( see ESPN). With re. to your article on Josh Smith, do you fail to recognize he is a greatest strength,greatest weakness type of player who plays well enough at times to be an attractive hero but also badly enough to get his team beat due to either stupidity or stubborness or ego or all three. Are you willing to admit that the Braves already settled for mediocrity this year and maybe next when they let go for money reasons arguably the best 1stbaseman in baseball in order to rebuild their pitching staff. As a result they have only 2 or 3 studs on offense and 2 or 3 studs on the mound, the same as almost every other team in baseball. There is not a GOOD team in baseball that would want Anderson, Francour,Kotchman(if they need homers from a 1stbaseman), Bennett, O’flaherty or
the sidearmer.Cox is thus stuck with an Amer. League philosophy but a weak Nat. League team.
herbK
June 17th, 2009
8:37 pm
Mark, really c’mon. The braves were finished in March. Didn’t have a chance then, even less of a chance now. The team is pathetic because of lack of talent & too much $$$ for too little effort/talent.
Jeff R
June 17th, 2009
8:41 pm
Bobby Cox the problem with the Braves? I don’t think so. Pick your manager; make him the Braves’ manager. I doubt the club is playing any better than its playing now. Why?
The talent. A manager is only as good as the talent provided. Managers are typically overrated in determining the success or failure of a team.
Anyone really think the Braves wouldn’t have had “The Run” without Cox?
Come on. Let’s get real.
Trouble is JS and Wren have tried to transition this team while contending. One foot in a pennant race and the other in rebuilding is a tough trick to pull off. Most GMs don’t try it.
If the Braves don’t turn things around, and there’s a good chance they won’t, management needs to sit down and reassess the plan.
Mark Bradley
June 17th, 2009
8:42 pm
I’m not sure what the alternative was with Mark Teixeira. He wasn’t going to re-sign with the Braves. They had to try and get something for him, and they did. They had to rebuild their starting pitching, and they’ve done a pretty good job. I don’t think they “settled” for mediocrity. I think they hoped things would go right, hitting-wise, and they haven’t. Francoeur hasn’t really rebounded. Kelly Johnson has regressed. Kotchman has displayed even less power than his career averages would indicate.
In sum, I think the Braves tried to put themselves in position — given their limited payroll — to be in contention. But a lot of things had to happen for that to occur. Some of those things haven’t happened yet. Not every gamble pays, though. If it did, nobody would ever lose.
Mark Bradley
June 17th, 2009
8:44 pm
And, on another topic, P Rose is writing songs faster than Hoagy Carmichael.
BT
June 17th, 2009
8:50 pm
Jeff R you are making the statement that the Braves have a plan??
Bravos
June 17th, 2009
8:54 pm
Mark, do we have any shot at getting A. Gonzalez from SD?
R. Brave
June 17th, 2009
9:02 pm
Hey Timthebrave, when did the Germans bomb Pearl Harbor ?
Bobby Cox
June 17th, 2009
9:03 pm
Gee, Skip. The guys hit well in our simulated games. Time for another drink.
old fashioned ray
June 17th, 2009
9:11 pm
Finally,somebody noticed the comment that the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor! If the writer’s knowledge of baseball equals his knowledge of history,he should stop commenting about the Braves. And what about Larry Bowa as manager to kick some of the Braves’ butts?
Preston Hannatized
June 17th, 2009
9:13 pm
Mark … Please write the truth — Atlanta is a bad sports town. We supported the winning Braves teams of the early 90’s but since then, it’s been “facilis descensus averni.” The late 90’s teams were good but were embarrassed repeatedly by the Yankees. The early 2000 years were false bravado, “Yippee, 14 straight” and out in the first round. It’s an accomplishment but the Falcons not having two winning seasons in a row is a freaking accomplishment too! The Braves management doesn’t care, the Braves dugout – from Chipper’s North Florida drawl to Bobby Cox’s “slap my forehead” ennui – don’t care and really, down deep, no one in Atlanta really cares. By the 4th of July, this team is double digits out. The bad news is they will get very bad very quickly; I was here in the late 70’s and it was great to get good seats up front for general admission prices. That’s all we have to look forward to.
TrueBrave
June 17th, 2009
9:15 pm
All of you who think we are going to be a better team once BC is gone then you are out of your mind. Just wait. Once he leaves and we still have this pathetic excuse for an offense you are really going to know what bad managing is. Washington Nationals style.
Man I wish we signed Dunn instead of Anderson. His knock was his defensive play. Garrett looks like he would rather be anywhere else but in left field for the Bravos.
It is time to retool. All of the “Baby Braves” besides McCann can go fly a kite.
I would also like to see an owner that is willing to invest his (or her) energy, and more importantly finances, to get a team that can compete with the Phillies and Mets…….or hire the Marlins scouting department. It still irritates me that they have more World Series Championships than us.
I will still be at about fifteen more games this season. Even if it is a horrible product to watch besides a very select few on our team.
Make sure you stop over at MLB.com and vote for McCann in the all star balloting. He was robbed last season. Let’s not let that happen again.
Ben
June 17th, 2009
9:18 pm
The Braves will be out before long. They just don’t have the talent or coaching to make a consistent run for the play-offs. I wonder if some of these players on the team could even play for other teams. Time for some changes in the organization.
Bobby Cox
June 17th, 2009
9:18 pm
I hit my wife harder than Frenchie hits the damn baseball !
Hung Lo
June 17th, 2009
9:21 pm
Vazquez & Escobar will look good in RedSox uniforms.
chas
June 17th, 2009
9:24 pm
As a lifelong Braves fan I spent the 70’s and 80’s desensitized to losing year after year. Then, along came a miracle and we had a decade and a half of amazing baseball. Since then, I have been in hangover mode of expecting the Braves to win the division every year. But, indeed the reality is that we just aren’t that great in 2009. We are what we are..a .500 team. We have some very good parts, but we have pressing needs that don’t appear to be able to be addressed this year. But, all in all I think Wren did a great job of giving us …on paper .. a very decent chance to win the division from the start of the season. That is all you can ask for really…or all I ask for. We have been spoiled.
Ken
June 17th, 2009
9:26 pm
It may be easy for everyone to blame the Braves’ losing ways to poor hitting, but last I checked the Braves were hitting .257, and the last time the Braves hit .250 during a season, they won the Series.
The Braves ERA is 4.11 last check, and we never had a pennant winner with an ERA that high. In fact, from 1991-2005, only twice did we finish with an ERA above 4, and only one time did we win 100+ games with an ERA above 4, and that was with the .284-hitting 235-HR offensive juggernaut of 2003. 9 times in 12 years we had an team ERA below 3.60, and four times 3.18 or better. Couple that with an offense that averaged .260-.270 BA each year, and you had a tremendous degree of success.
Though the Braves aren’t tearing the world up with their power and BA, the past few years we have actually had a good offense, just lousy pitching. Now our pitching has improved a bit over 2006-08 (especially with the new young guns), but our bats are regressing, and the pitching isn’t there yet to make it up.
We started the streak in 1991 with a simple strategy. Great defense, the strongest pitching we can get our hands on, and decent hitting. I have seen that strategy get muddled the past few years, and it’d be nice to see things righted in my lifetime.