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
jazzyk
June 17th, 2009
9:29 pm
MB,
You’re probably right about this being a lost Braves season.
But wouldn’t right now be a great time for the franchise to shift its
offensive philosophy from waiting for the 3-run homer to laying down the bunt for a hit,
and running at every opportunity? Whether it works or not, a speed oriented offense gives the opposition something extra to worry about and could generate runs when the bats are quiet.
truth-serum
June 17th, 2009
9:32 pm
WHAT THE BRAVES NEED IS MORE REDNECKS TO COMPLEMENT CHIPPER BUBBA JONES AND BOBBY GOOD OL BOY COX…THATS HOW YOU WINS GAMES…
Baracked the vote!
June 17th, 2009
9:36 pm
The important point to remember is, no mater how many games this team loses, none of the losses are Booby Cox’s fault. Considering how well he can punch his wife, maybe he should be in the lineup.
alsim
June 17th, 2009
9:40 pm
Thank you Bobby Cox for your years of service.
Now, it’s time to hang up the spikes.
.
Ken
June 17th, 2009
9:45 pm
jazzyk,
With the Braves on a pace to finish with about 120 HRs, the lowest since 1988, if they’re waiting for homers, they’re going to be waiting a while. It’s pretty sad when your SS is #2 on the team in HRs, and he isn’t named Rodriguez or Jeter (it’s sad anyways when the #2 HR leader has a grand total of 6 dingers at this point of the season).
Although the Braves have always been the poster boys for great pitching, it’s sometimes forgotten that they also averaged 177 HRs a year from ‘91-’05. I don’t see where that power is going to come from within this organization anytime soon. There’s certainly nobody at Gwinnett right now capable of helping to make up this deficit. They really messed up and let a great power hitter go when Teixeira left (yes, they could have kept him if they really wanted to–they didn’t).
With Chipper declining and the rest of the team thin in the power ranks (and nobody promising at AA or AAA), we are going to have to spend to give those bleacher fans any souvenirs.
Dawgdad
June 17th, 2009
9:47 pm
Does anyone remember Raul Mondesi. Braves signed him on a hope he had something left and he didn’t, so they let him go. Garrett Anderson is Raul Mondesi, when do they let him go, soon I hope. I just can’t believe the amount of money wasted on him and Kawakami, another joke. Someone needs to have a long talk with Bobby Cox about leaving gracefully. Maybe they can fake an injury or illness as an excuse, they seem to be good at that when they want to get rid of a player, i.e. Norton and Carlyle. There is no hope left for this season. Fire Sale time, another reason Bobby could step down. He could say he is not into rebuilding so he is leaving at All Star break.
Smitty
June 17th, 2009
9:48 pm
Mark, Teixera was not going to resign because he already knew he couldnt get the money he wanted because the Braves had already made that decision, wanting to spend money on rebuilding pitching. O.K. Management long term decision. But , money is a part of building a competitive team. They don’t have a competitive team. And hoping for unusual results is not the way to do it. Look at championship teams: they are built on organizing and paying for quality in every facet of the game but particularly , obviously, players and coaches. Look at today’s consistent winning teams, ie. Boston, NY, Philly,Dodgers. The Braves were out bid in some way on almost every field player they went after such as Furcal, Teixera, even Griffey.The pitchers, Lowe and Vasqeuz, they succeeded on, as they planned.But this team is very limited. I admire Chipper for staying so positive after having been on so many really sound, good teams. It is just marketing they did to make bucks promoting this as a COMPEtitiVE team. Atlanta should be used to it. The Falcons and Hawks lied thru marketing for years as to the reality of their teams. Success is founded on a lot more than “hope to be in contention” but in the meantime (false) advertising allows money to be made on tickets and concessions.
CHarms
June 17th, 2009
9:51 pm
I agree that the Braves season is all but over. Face it, they are a mediocre team this year that can’t string together any sort of a winning streak. In fact, as I think about it, does anyone know the last time the Braves actually won more than 2 or 3 games in a row? It seems like it’s been forever since they went on a 7 or 8 game winning streak.
mike
June 17th, 2009
9:55 pm
Ughhh. Yes. Hanson, McLouth and all the other “lightning in a bottle” players aren’t going to get this team anywhere. A couple of days ago, I saw someone brag about how “the team is set up for a run next year.”
Heard that last year. And the year before. ATL will be the Pittsburgh of the south before long. Back (the 80s that is) to the future.
John
June 17th, 2009
9:58 pm
Here’s a suggestion…. play Matt Diaz regularly.
It may not be the answer to all their problems, but no sense in leaving one of your best hitters on the bench when the team routinely can’t hit.
Jeff
June 17th, 2009
9:58 pm
The Braves will be at least 10 games below .500 by the time the Red Sox and Yankees are done with them. Could be even worse since they have 6 against the Sox.
Smitty
June 17th, 2009
10:02 pm
There is no heart, fire, edge, excitement to this team. Certainly not with Bobby coaching his way with players like Anderson, Francour, etc. Chipper and McAnn are quiet leaders. At least Diaz seems to care. But who does Cox listen to. In another 2 weeks we will all quit watching. Doesn’t matter, Announcers keep covering , TV keeps paying, etc. Who really cares?
Base
June 17th, 2009
10:02 pm
Its final the Braves 4 to 3 and are sinking fast.WELCOME to corporate baseball on a budget.Who decided on the radio announcers,what a bunch of losers.I thought Sutton was gone forever.
Horner's Corner
June 17th, 2009
10:06 pm
WHEN WILL PRADO START @ 2B????????
Henry M. Hope
June 17th, 2009
10:07 pm
Enter your comments here
Henry M. Hope
June 17th, 2009
10:08 pm
Boy, am I glad I saved my money this season! I haven’t been to a single Braves game.
Shorty
June 17th, 2009
10:09 pm
Stick a fork in ‘em–they’re done.
Mark Bradley
June 17th, 2009
10:09 pm
Two birds with one stone: The Braves should have grabbed Micah Owings, who can pitch and hit. Just sayin’.
tra gordon
June 17th, 2009
10:11 pm
we have got to have some better peolpe in the minors to call up. we need a whole new team from the coach to the players, why not we are losing anyway. i have been a braves fan my whole life an there is no fire in that dugout. bring the youth up at least they will play with heart because the ones there now sure don’t.
Quint
June 17th, 2009
10:13 pm
McLouth and Anderson are dogging it. Neither seems to want to play the outfield. Does Nate know how to throw a ball to homeplate? I sure haven’t seen it. I have never seen as much apathy as I have from those two and Escobar. Send their butts packing and find someone with a little grit who plays hard all the time.
chrisw148
June 17th, 2009
10:13 pm
FRANK WREN HAS GOT TO GO.
Murph
June 17th, 2009
10:13 pm
I agree… this season is basically over. The Braves don’t have the hitters to pull of the 10-game win streak that they need to get back in the race. 2 here, 1 there, 3 there, but never a solid run.
There’s only one person who can fix the Braves. Anyone know what Ted is up to these days? He’s our only hope.
Horner's Corner
June 17th, 2009
10:18 pm
I guess I’m getting old, but I cannot stand watching a team that has no fight. These guys are so apathetic and they play with a level of emotion that is almost non-existent. In fact, most of the team gets irritated with Escobar because he whistles and enjoys playing the game (although he does make a lot of bone headed plays in the process).
And a note to KJ, please stop pouting and knock over a god da*# water cooler or throw your fu*#ing helmet once in a while. Just so some emotion out there and let us know you care.
warren
June 17th, 2009
10:19 pm
i was just at the baltimore series and watching them in person they look sluggish, slow, burned out even though the season really has just begun. all these guys get paid to hit and they never seem to push those runs across. getting guys on base and then hitting into double plays or striking out! the pitching has been very good your gonna see 4 guys with great era’s with losing records. unfortunetly im a huge braves fan and want the best for my team, but if they dont get a big bat(right handed power hitter) they will be done , dont know if they couold get it done within the next 3 days because if they dont these 2009 braves are gonna be well below the 500 mark. go braves!!!!!11
mike
June 17th, 2009
10:20 pm
But I thought McLouth was supposed to be such a great pickup…….(note my sarcasm). I didn’t see it then, and unfortunately, I still don’t see it. Were I the “newly” appointed GM, I’d probaly do a fire sale and build from the ground up.
Booger
June 17th, 2009
10:21 pm
Maybe Bobby was digging when he found this Garret Anderson character.
Mark Bradley
June 17th, 2009
10:23 pm
You know, starting pitchers have little meetings before games. I’m just wondering what the Braves’ starters say about their own hitters: Maybe, “Man, how I’d love to pitch against these guys”?
Streak
June 17th, 2009
10:23 pm
Somebody better tell McLouth to slow down running to first base. He’s still running all out and you don’t do that on a Bobby Cox team – might pull a hammy.
Quint
June 17th, 2009
10:23 pm
HC, you are so right. I have no problem with Escobar having fun. Kinda wish that all the others would act like they enjoy it more. But he sure has made some dumb base-running mistakes this year. At least twice already and I just can’t remember that happening in seasons past. I wonder if he is being brought down by his teammates apathy.
Mark Bradley
June 17th, 2009
10:24 pm
I’m starting to wonder about the new guy myself. You think Frank thought he was trading for Sam McLoud of Taos, N.M.? At least he could be counted on to ride a horsey through the streets of Manhattan.
mike
June 17th, 2009
10:25 pm
Braves new marketing campaign: “We’re setting ourselves up for a run next year”.
Tony in Johns Creek
June 17th, 2009
10:26 pm
Frank Wren’s hands must be tied with Liberty Media and a strict Budget.
He has been able to overhaul the pitching staff in one off season while staying in line with the number he’s been given.
Our payroll is lower than it was in the mid-nineties.
Yes, our pitching staff is very good and our offense is way below average, because we’re asking bench players to put up starting numbers.
Kelly Johnson, Frenchy, Ross, and whoever is at first base, coupled with the guy who’s name I can’t remember because he’s hitting .100 does not a contender make. These are not bonified major league everyday players. They are bench players at best.
I’ve said before that we should have gone out and tried to get Sheffield and put him in left. He has more home runs than anyone on our team. We need someone like a Craig Council at the 2 bag.
Our top 4 hitters are good, then there is a drop off a cliff with the second half of the batting order.
Maybe we can trade Hudson after he shows he can pitch when he comes back. This would be more of a move for next year though, rather than trying to contend this year.
Little Larry Wells, little league pitcher
June 17th, 2009
10:26 pm
I would start Francoeur off with a pitch low and away. Strike one. Then, I’d throw him one inside at the knees. Strike two. Next, here comes some shoulder high cheese. Swing and a miss. Strike three. That’s how I’d pitch to Jeff Francoeur and I am Little Larry Wells, little league pitcher.
Sonny Clusters
June 17th, 2009
10:28 pm
We was never this bad.
mike
June 17th, 2009
10:30 pm
Wow. Sam McCloud. You go way back. Perhaps they could trade for McMillen and Wife next. Or maybe we could get the Adam 12 guys to search for Brave’s heart. Or maybe Braveheart…..ok I’ll stop now.
chrisw148
June 17th, 2009
10:32 pm
I think you should write an article about Frank Wren. I cannot believe that he will have a job at the end of the season. With the embarassment of the offseason and the terrible way he has handled Smoltz and Glavine he has done enough as Braves GM to set this team back. This organization used to be where players would run to play now they are running away. Coming out of spring everyone knew that this team as constructed would have trouble scoring runs. They dealt Mark Tex and got little back. What was left was a team of singles and doubles hitters, nobody a pitcher would fear other then Chipper on a good night. This is the first year where Chipper did not have Andruw or Tex backing him up and it shows. I love the Mcann but he is not a cleanup hitter nor should your catcher be unless his name is Mike Piazza. The Braves went worse than cheap allowing Raul Ibanez, Orlando Hudson, Bobby Abreu, Adam Dunn all available at a relatively cheap rate, there was no move aquire any of them. Instead we give three years to Kenshin Kawakami who it appears is not a major league starter. Instead we kept the same cast of characters that ended the year near last place. Wren failed to realize that when you took away Tex the offense went with him. Look at the stats of the Braves after he was traded last season, its just as bad as what we have seen so far this year. I agree the picthing needed to be addressed but this isnt the early 90’s where you can have great pitching and win games 2-1 every night. The lineups of the Phils, Red Sox, and Yankees are far better then any we faced in that era. The Phils proved last year picthing is great especially when you have an ace like Cole Hamels but where would they be with Kotchman, Johnson, and Escobar instead of Howard, Utley and Rollins.
Mark Bradley
June 17th, 2009
10:34 pm
I do go way back. And maybe Thomas Banacek can unlock the mystery of the purloined offense.
mike
June 17th, 2009
10:35 pm
I recommend we put Petrocelli and Columbo on the case immediately. My hunch is they’ll not find anything.
No More Bobby
June 17th, 2009
10:38 pm
Braves fan for life and I really can’t feel too bad for us after our run in the 90’s. But what does bother me is this team really does have some talent. I thought that last year as well but I think Bobby is done as a manager. The game has changed and he is old, tired and living off the past.
We can bring in as many new faces as we want but with the comfort zone being what it is and always will be with Bobby running the show, Braves fans can expect it to be like this every season.
Hang it up Bobby after this year. Please?
Brave7
June 17th, 2009
10:38 pm
All yall Frenchy haters talk about how much he sucks, his numbers are not far off from every single person in the lineup, he has 31 rbi’s i believe and he is second in outfield assist, look at how many runs he saves the braves. He is not playing good at all, i get that, instead of getting down on our players why dont we act like real fans and quit acting like freakin yankee and red sox fans who boo everyone.
Mitch C
June 17th, 2009
10:39 pm
Another loss tonight in Cincy. Four games under 500 now. This is getting depressing. I really thought that we were going to be in the wild card race this year. Now it looks like a slow boat to nowhere.
Mark, even though it is only June 17th, do you have any prediction about the Braves final 2009 record? The way this team has played lately, I’m beginning to think we may be the same 72-90 team as last year. Remember, last year we hung around 500 too for a while, before sinking like a stone.
Mitch C
RB
June 17th, 2009
10:43 pm
This is one sad team.They will not be in the hunt this year nor next. Bobby and this coaching staff ( excluding Mcdowell) are a tired bunch. As long as Bobby is the coach, this team will not be motivated to play thier best. I like Bobby as a person but no longer as a coach.
Brian Jordan Said It
June 17th, 2009
10:43 pm
“That’s not what he do.” – Brian Jordan
You heard it there and read it here.
mike
June 17th, 2009
10:44 pm
Hey Ms. Francouer, We see right through your Brave7 screen name. Your son’s a good guy, but right now, HE’S KILLING US.
Sincerely,
Chipper
Quint
June 17th, 2009
10:44 pm
I remember Bobby pulling Andruw for dogging it. It lit a fire under him for a while. Maybe Bobby needs to go nuclear on the team one time. Might help. Remember Lou Piniella nutting-up after a bad call and then the Cubs suddenly turning it around? I know it probably won’t work, but then again…
Sonny Clusters
June 17th, 2009
10:45 pm
We was always able to hit.
Quint
June 17th, 2009
10:47 pm
Didn’t mean to suggest that Lou went nuts on his own team. I think he was just looking for a way to get them to pull together. When was that? Two years ago in Atlanta?
Dr Henry / augusta
June 17th, 2009
10:50 pm
You nailed it MB….It’s hard to believe tho that this team is as close to .500 as they are….If the lower half of the BO start to hit just a little they could be at .500 before July 4…..Stranger things have happened!!! Starting pitching has kept it this close….It’s a shame that some pretty good pitching performances have so little to show….There’s still 3 1/2 months left….Come on Guys!!!!!
Mark Bradley
June 17th, 2009
10:51 pm
Not to get all depressing, but the 2008 Braves were 32-32 after 64 games. The 2009 team is 30-34.
mike
June 17th, 2009
10:53 pm
Good point Quint. If a team in Atlanta was being pulled together by their leadership, it was probably in the visiting locker room.