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
Miss Emily Lewalt
June 17th, 2009
10:53 pm
I was watching Bobby Cox on television and that man is nasty! Snorting, farting, scratching, and all on television! Trade him to Zoo Atlanta.
Packerman
June 17th, 2009
10:59 pm
Since 2005 when McCann, Frenchy, and Kelly came up, the Braves are 50-74 in June. Why are they so bad in June? June always seems to be their worst month. I can’t figure how a month in the middle of the season is the worst. I can almost make sense of running out of gas in September, but September hasn’t mattered since 2005, so what’s the deal? Why June?
Miss Emily Lewalt
June 17th, 2009
11:01 pm
They could lease a panda and put him in right field for Francoeur.
Mark Bradley
June 17th, 2009
11:04 pm
As some of you know, I grew up 60 miles from Cincinnati in the days of the Big Red Machine. Those guys used to say, “We don’t start to hit until the weather gets hot.”
The 2009 Braves’ motto: “We don’t start to hit until Hades frosts over.”
mike
June 17th, 2009
11:08 pm
Come on Mark. Their motto is: “We don’t hit, and you can’t make us.” Bobby Cox is no Sparky.
wolf
June 17th, 2009
11:14 pm
Mark, I keep hearing that the Braves might trade Francoeur and/or Kelly Johnson. My question: WHY would any major league team give up anything of value to get either of those two guys? Francoeur has one of the lowest OBP’s of anybody playing regularly in the major leagues, has no power anymore, is not a fast runner on the bases, only has a great outfield arm to offer, nothing much else. Johnson is a .250 hitter who is below average defensively. Most teams can find a .250 hitter with a better glove to play second base. A GM would have to be nutty give up anything of value to get Francoeur or Johnson.
mike
June 17th, 2009
11:17 pm
Maybe they could get McLouth. Oh, sorry……
andruknight
June 17th, 2009
11:18 pm
This bunch refuses to work the counts…they’re as impatient as any I have witnessed and are the opposing pitchers best friend…tonight they were facing a guy that is average and his pitch count was up there early…what do they do? Assist him greatly by swinging at first pitches and early in the count…that’s especially problematic with Frenchy and Garrett Anderson–just about over folks…this team just doesn’t have it…but I’ll continue to support them regardless–they’re our Braves.
Mitchell
June 17th, 2009
11:24 pm
I’m gonna say it, we’re going to end up over .500 at the end of the Phillies series in July.
Mark my motor licking words Bradley.
We’re going to beat the big boys and the wanna-be’s, I’m telling you what.
David
June 17th, 2009
11:24 pm
Soon? The Braves season is over. This is a result of the last 4 years of bad ownership and mismanagement in the entire organization. They have rushed prospects to majors too fast. Frenche is a perfect example of this. They have also held on too many players from the so called glory days, who were getting paid far too much money. Terry P is another example of being with the organization too long. After he get fired this year he will not getting a batting coach job in the next five years. I am glad I have not wasted any of my money on this organization the last few years. It’s tome to blow it up, and start from scratch.
Hillbilly Deluxe
June 17th, 2009
11:29 pm
Actually, Lou Pinella did go nuclear on the Cubs a couple years ago in a post game news conference. (Their problem at the time was bad defense) I don’t remember it word for word but it was something like, “They need to start catching the damn ball and playing like major leaguers. And if they can’t do that, we’ll get rid of them and get somebody in here who can.” They started to play better after that and some of them were missing the next year.
Mark Bradley
June 17th, 2009
11:30 pm
Mitchell, you win the Optimists’ Club award for fan of the day.
mike
June 17th, 2009
11:31 pm
I don’t criticize baseball teams often. But when I do, the Braves are an easy target.
Stay thirsty my friends.
See ya tomorrow.
Good Grief
June 17th, 2009
11:34 pm
Somebody already touched on this already so I want go to much into it but its nice to see the Braves in another “June Swoon” yet again. I remember when June use to be a month where we turn it on, but I seen something tonight that made me want to go ahead and pull up the white flag.
It was right after Escobar homered…
He headed towards the dugout with a high five from Chipper and then once he hit the dugout steps I’m expecting some energy and passion out of the guys waiting at the bottom of the steps and there was absolutely nothing! Yeah, the guys were standing there with their high fives and all but the energy was nonexistent and if you can’t get pumped up off a homer that put you ahead for the first time in a few games in the middle of a slump I don’t know what will…This team is just walking dead right now and its pretty bad to look at especially when you know what this team was doing just 5 years ago…
Mitchell
June 17th, 2009
11:36 pm
Brad, you’re big red machine was a little toy firetruck. What?
To review: lost ‘70 WS, lost ‘71 NLCS, lost ‘72 WS, lost ‘73 NLCS, lost ‘79 NLCS.
They swept the Yankees. Sure, I’ll give ‘em that. But they needed seven games to beat the Red Sox? Give me a break. It was the 20th century, post-war America Boston Red Sox. Doesn’t count.
Overrated.
Packerman
June 17th, 2009
11:37 pm
I love the Braves, but they are just getting boring to watch. Lifeless and unenergetic. Not the way to get people in the seats. Unless something changes, attendance will stay low.
Mitchell
June 17th, 2009
11:37 pm
Thank you Brad.
I’ll take it. As I like to say, this team doesn’t know how to get rid of me. Try as they might.
Ball Hound
June 17th, 2009
11:38 pm
Question is, how many of our regular 8 could start for any other ML club? Chipper, McCann, Escobar, and McLouth. All the rah rah from Cox can’t make smart hitters of Andrsn, Frenchy, KJ, or Kotchman. Piniella or LaRussa wouldn’t just sit there in the corner and trot em out night after night expecting different results.
Ball Hound
June 17th, 2009
11:42 pm
June is the month of failure due to interleague play and AL superiority. We seem to draw the better teams as a rule.
Mitchell
June 17th, 2009
11:49 pm
If only we could play the Mets every other week. They’re the ultimate slump busters.
We really don’t get to play them often enough. It’s a shame.
I was in Borders the other day and I saw this stupid book called “greatest new york sports moments” or some crap and although it wasn’t on the author’s offical list of 50 or 100 or whatever it was he had a little sidebar that included the 8th inning comeback the Mets had in June of 2000 against us at Shea. In his opinion, that was the night the Mets were finally able to break the Braves spell.
It wasn’t. I’ve been trying to find his email address somewhere online so I can tell him what an idiot he is. I am awesome.
Chop Chop
June 17th, 2009
11:49 pm
Mark,
One thing about Nate McLouth is that the man had a career .206 average in June. That might have a little to do with his struggles.
Chop Chop
June 17th, 2009
11:50 pm
That is, Nate had that career .206 June average before he got to the Braves. It seems like he’s hitting according to past form.
Mark Bradley
June 17th, 2009
11:50 pm
The Reds didn’t lose the 1971 NLCS, Mitchell. They took a header that season. San Fran held off the Dodgers and won the West by a game.
Packerman
June 17th, 2009
11:51 pm
Someone asked Bobby if the team was dissapointed in this stretch of games. All he said was “No.” How can they not be? How can they not look at the body of work over their past 10 games and not be disappointed? As an athlete, I’m disappointed if I lose 1 game. They should be ashamed. I know La Russa wouldn’t sit back and take this. I don’t like La Russa, or the Cards, but I have to admit he gets the job done. I think both Bobby and La Russa are great managers, but the difference is that Bobby is tired. He’s just too tired to get this team in gear. I think this season will make him realize that he wants to retire. I’ll be sad to see him go, and I admit that maybe I’m a little too sentimental for my own good, but I hope that Bobby sees what everyone else sees. It’s time for him to hang it up.
Ken
June 17th, 2009
11:51 pm
In the division-clinching 1991 game against the Astros, here were the two line-ups:
Houston: Kenny Lofton, Steve Finley, Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Luis Gonzalez, Ken Caminiti, Andujar Cedeno, Casey Candaele
Atlanta: Lonnie Smith, Mark Lemke, Terry Pendleton, David Justice, Ron Gant, Sid Bream, Greg Olsen, Rafael Belliard
We won 5-2 to clinch the NL East. Looking at those two lineups, you never would have thought the Braves were the ones clinching a division.
Amazing what a little emotion, timely hitting, and great pitching can get you. Wish we had some of that this year.
Mark Bradley
June 17th, 2009
11:52 pm
I say it again: Trade for Micah Owings. Put him in left field four days out of five. Let him pitch the other.
Mark Bradley
June 17th, 2009
11:55 pm
Didn’t Andujar Cedeno make four errors in two days that weekend?
Speaking of which … here’s my all-time favorite baseball stat. When he was at Class AAA Louisville, Andy Van Slyke got married on a Saturday. He played third base on Sunday — and made four errors.
Mitchell
June 18th, 2009
12:00 am
You win this round Bradley.
Ken
June 18th, 2009
12:02 am
Mark,
Cedeno did worse than that. 6 errors that weekend, (3 on Fri, 2 on Sat, 1 on Sun) which increased his total for that year by 50% on the last weekend.
Ouch.
hal
June 18th, 2009
12:08 am
i agree trade chipper riigt now before he breaks down again and we pay him alll that money for nothing i would never have sighned him long term how long has it been since hes played over 140 games and when he does his rotten defence ruins what he does with the bat get somone with a touch of fire for him and do it now!!! maybe a american league team will take him off out hands one can hope anyways
JUST ME
June 18th, 2009
12:26 am
I think Bobby felt this team would be a good one to complete his managing career with.
Looking at him during any game I get the feeling that he is totally disgusted with the lack of support and intensity, from the players, coaches, and management, and has given up.
Apparently someone higher up the ladder has taken his control of certain players and coaches away.
It’s sad to see his career ending this way because of actions by superiors who have turned him, the coaches, and the team into an inferior product.
I would like to see him tell them to kiss his ass and walk away, but he won’t because he is pegged to become General Manager after this season, or sooner, and he sees that as his chance to improve the team which he loves so much.
GT Falcon
June 18th, 2009
12:42 am
BMac is the only one worth anything. So everyone go vote and make sure he starts at the allstar game.
jed
June 18th, 2009
1:00 am
the root of the problem with this team is simply that KJ and JF were counted on to produce and they’ve done the opposite. they’ve dragged this team down entirely. that’s where the problem with cox exists: tonight, who was back out there going 1 for a collective 7? KJ and JF. that’s all you need to know about this season. unfortunately, we’ve seen this same stubborn, blind loyalty from cox many times over the years, dating back to caminiti and reggie sanders, and continuing on to andruw’s miserable ‘07 season, and francouer’s nightmare last year. (which is amazing. he’s stuck with JF for a year and half now!)
bigstack19
June 18th, 2009
1:03 am
First of all, I’ve always thought Mark Bradley was a great writer and one of the best the AJC has ever had. Secondly, the Braves were done the day Frank Wren was named GM. I remember when this team had zero expectations back in the 80’s. It is so much worse when you are used to your favorite team winning every year and then they suddenly lose that winning touch. Still, I would take this team over any of the 1984 to 1990 Braves.
Coach (2010 or Bust)
June 18th, 2009
1:37 am
OK, I’ll spill it and shut the hell up.
Who is Luis Durango? Well, they call him the Panamaniac, for obvious reason. The 5-9 switch hitter is undoubtedly one of the fastest players in baseball, not just the minors. He has been clocked at 6.22 seconds in the 60 yard dash and 3.6 seconds from home to first base. By comparison, the Seattle Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki, considered one of the speediest players in the majors, has been clocked in 3.7 seconds.
He has what scouts refer to as “Game breaking speed” and it’s a gift, not something which can be taught or learned. The scary part is, he’s raw and still learning the finer nuances of the game. Durango has mastered the art of slapping the ball the other way and not hitting it in the air. He was signed out of Panama as an undrafted free agent for the paltry sum of twelve thousand dollars back in 2005.
His days of flying under the radar are over as the Padres added him to their 40 man roster this past off-season. The two time minor league batting champion has everything one would look for in the prototypical lead type hitter. Blazing speed, exceptional hand-eye coordination, magic hands, plate discipline and the ability to bunt for a hit and beat it out. Did I mention his .344 batting average or eye popping .435 OBP? How about the fact that the 23 year old has 192 career walks versus 155 K’s. He has never hit lower than .305 during his five years in the minors.
His minor league numbers speak for themselves. Durango has excelled at every level and continues to improve his game as the Padres well know. “He’s our little Juan Pierre except faster,” said Grady Fuson, the Padres’ vice president of scouting and player development. “He can absolutely fly. And he’s really mastered, in the last couple of years, the ability to get the bat on the ball and keep it out of the air.”
So why am I bleating on and on about the guy? Because he is buried in the Padres depth charts and they have nowhere to play him. Meanwhile, our outfield continues to be a complete disaster and while Nate McLouth is a fine player, he ain’t no lead off hitter. We need one as the ghost of Rafael Furcal continues to haunt the Braves. Luis Durango has big league written all over him. He’s Otis Nixon cloned. Even an idiot like me can see that.
Kev
June 18th, 2009
1:48 am
Pitching is fine ———–> YOU JUST CANT WIN WITH A TRIPLE A LINE UP IN THE MAJORS.
RW
June 18th, 2009
2:05 am
MB – you are going to say that Bobby Cox is a class act, a mgr who has always stuck up for his players, cheered them on because he knows to do otherwise would be demeaning to players who would give their left arm to save his job. He treats them like professionals. The players feel sick that they can’t win for their favorite boss and he knows it. It’s been said many times before – the mgr can’t hit or pitch for the players. He can set the lineup, make in game changes, and cheer them on to do their best. Finally, in Bobby’s defense, the club’s money bosses did not come through with the money to retain a Texeira or sign a Peavy. Add two big time money players to the roster and we would not be discussing what to do with Bobby Cox.
Ken Stallings
June 18th, 2009
2:20 am
Not much to add, Mark. Short column, but it’s unfortunately accurate. If I have one thing to add it’s that it’s not merely a talent issue on offense, but the team seems to be playing in a rut, unmotivated.
I wonder what to do now to make this team a contender in the future. Clearly it seems our scouting system no longer gets the effective results from the draft as we used to get.
While the Nate McLouth trade has helped the team and he’s played well, blunt truth he made last year’s All Star roster only because every team has to have someone suit up, and he’s the best the Pirates had. But compare that to previous trades such as the deal for Fred McGriff that put Atlanta over the top for their only World’s Championship.
Just look at first base. We have a barely better than journeyman player in Casey Kotchman. How does that compare to Andres Galleraga, Fred McGriff, and Sid Bream. Now, there’s only two roster spots where the Braves have even the fourth best player in the NL suit up — third base and catcher.
The front office did a really nice job getting the rotation back to contender status. Our bullpen hasn’t been as good as we thought it might be. Our offense was a question mark answered now, but not how we wanted!
The sad thing is that the Braves still had a few years of good offense where a few good bullpen acquisitions and one starter would have given this team the right combination. But Liberty Mutual was too cheap for all that.
Now attendance is going down to levels not seen since the woeful 1980’s. With the economy like it is I think things are going to get real lean. Get used to the Yankees in the series. They’ve got all the money!
RW
June 18th, 2009
2:49 am
Cheer up Francoeur loathers. Look at player productivity from a bang for the buck perspective and you might not feel so bad about Frenchy still being with the Braves. More than a few teams and their fans have it worse than us!
Outfielders
Player AB RBIs Cost Per RBI (2009 salary / RBIs) Team
Ichiro Suzuki 246 17 $1,058,824 Mariners
Alfonso Soriano 253 28 $607,143 Cubs
Magglio Ordonez 213 21 $903,409 Tigers
J.D. Drew 186 31 $451,613 Red Sox
Aaron Rowand 222 30 $320,000 Giants
Grady Sizemore 206 31 $153,763 Indians
Bobby Abreu 214 34 $147,059 Angels
Nick Swisher 196 35 $154,286 Yankees
Jeff Francoeur 239 30 $112,500 Braves
Where’s the real value out there you ask?
Player RBIs Cost per RBI
Nelson Cruz 43 $9,490
Shin-Soo Choo 40 $10,508
Adam Jones 41 $10,610
Justin Upton 37 $11,135
Jay Bruce 33 $12,652
Ken
June 18th, 2009
3:56 am
For those of you saying you’d take this team over any of the mid-late 80’s squads:
The 84 squad that went 80-82 had a 3.57 team ERA. I’ll take that over today’s 4.11. Sadly, the offense that year batted .247 with only 111 HRs.
The 86 staff went 72-89 and finished 6th in the NL west despite a staff ERA of only 3.99, which is still better than the ‘09 staff. They, too, were waylaid by an anemic offense that likely should outhomer the 2009 squad (138 to 120ish).
The 89 squad had an ERA of 3.7. Team BA of .237 and only 128 HRs doomed them to a mere 63 wins.
The 80’s were full of bad managing, poor timing, and criminally poor use of good pine, but also some decent pitching. Sounds a lot like 2009 to me.
Kevin
June 18th, 2009
4:01 am
Ed Yost comes to mind for a new manager replace cox n get Gerald Perry as hittin coach trade AJ and Frenchy wet pants to cubs for 3 minor league players n a outfielder….then cubs could start frenchy in CF for cubs…..Of course that sounds silly don’t it!Do somethin
Kevin
June 18th, 2009
4:05 am
Also if cox wants come back i would say fine but not here at if no better by all star break Fire Bobby cox n TP it will be a shock to Us n his poor wife who he beat up after bein fired….all ican say is fire bobby cox…1 ring 14 titles that divison is fine (not really if been Jimmy leyland here from 1990 to 2000 we had 7 WS championships)u folks been hidin under AJC newspaper makin dolls!
Bobby Cox should retire
June 18th, 2009
6:46 am
Bobby is the ultimate rally killer;
Cases in point-
Frenchy on 3rd no out – no squeeze 2 popups
Runners on 1st and 2nd, no out, 3-2 count on your best contact hitter and you do not put your runners in motion on the pitch – result double play. (Result a one run loss with your pitcher pitching his heart out with a complete game performance.)
I forget which team – runner on 3rd, 1 out and he chooses to pitch to the batter rather than walk him to set up a dp. Result – the run scores and the Braves lose.
Pirates – runner on 3rd, 2 outs, he walks LaRoach who promptly steals 2nd uncontested and the next batter (also LaRoach) singles both runs in and Braves lose again.
These were all close games and as a manager you are supposed to put your team in the best position to win. Not Bobby. If he is aggressive then I am a Hooter’s girl and I am one ugly SOB.
GT71
June 18th, 2009
6:54 am
Well of course the Baves aren’t very good. I had them in 4th (again) before the season began. Why? Baseball, like almost everything else is cyclical. You must have a good farm system and draft good players. When you do, like the Braves of the ’90s, the kids develop, key additions can be made, trades can help, etc. But to get good young players you must have top draft picks and you cannot get too many good draft picks when you are consistantly picking low because your ‘bigs’ team keeps winning. SO the Braves suck throught the late ’70s and ’80s and get high picks and the best young talent and then win through the ’90s. And then lose through the next decade. And it happens, basically, to almost all teams (barring the Yankees and Dodgers – big $$$ always wins).
And then there’s the organization. When a team is owned by a single single-minded egotistic ultra-rich guy, a team seems to do better. At least better than those owned by ‘corporations’ and ‘committees’. Give me an egotistical a$$ every time as owner. He CARES. In fact, the team is an extension of his ego. Ted was like that. Steinbrenner surely is as were so many team-owners in the past. Seems there are fewer today. Corporate baseball – UGH!
So you have cycles and monied egos at work. The Braves best hope? The same cycles and some ego-driven ownership who knows enough to hire good people – expensive people – top to bottom and LEAVE THEM ALONE. Sort of like Arthur Blank and the Falcons. Even he has learned to LEAVE THEM ALONE. Hard for that ego-type, but doable. Know anyone like that? And would he like to own a team?
yogi2
June 18th, 2009
6:54 am
As long as the braves have FRANC-OFER4 in the line up ,they are going to stink. Johnson should be benched when Infante returns. FRenchy, norton,
and Blanco should be released . Forget trading them. they have negative value. NO one in their right mind will pay Frenchy $3,700,000
a year to hit into D_plays or strike out. Brandon Jones is a better right fielder. This why there is so much complacency on the team. Cox’s loyalty to Frenchy, Shaffers, Norton and Carlyle is so disheartening to other players and fans
abudefdef
June 18th, 2009
6:58 am
Braves are only 6.5 games out, and the only team that is at .500 for their last 10 are the Marlins @ 5-5. Every one of the other NL East Teams are under .500 for their last 10 games. The next 15 games are definitely key, as 6.5 games is NOT “Out of it” already. Granted, we need a couple of people to step up, but the starting pitching is there, the fielding SHOULD be there, it’s the hitting we need. We have the ability, they just need to come together at the right time. Luckily neither the Mets or Phillies are tearing it up, or we coupld be 10 games out! There are almost 100 games to go, PLENTY of time to right the ship, the clubhouse just needs someone to step up and start smacking people around until the rust and/or funk shakes off…I have faith, the BRAVES will compete—THIS YEAR!!!
GO BRAVES!!!
****TOMAHAWK CHOPPIN***
taxman kenneth
June 18th, 2009
7:02 am
AMEN TO ROBERTNATL. THE BRAVES HAVE GIVEN AWAY MORE TALENT THAN THEY HAVE NOW AND FOR NOTHING. THINK ABOUT TEX AND DREW AS 2 GOOD EXAMPLES. IMAGINE MARQUIS AND WAINWRIGHT ON THE STAFF AND THE OTHER GOOD PLAYERS THAT THEY GAVE AWAY. THE BRAVES MANAGEMENT ARE TO BLAME FOR THIS DOWNFALL.
Mr. Wren
June 18th, 2009
7:03 am
Hello. U-Haul? I’d like to reserve a huge truck, please.
Anon. Braves Player
June 18th, 2009
7:15 am
I just loooooooooove Bobby ’cause Bobby looooooooves me.
SOS
June 18th, 2009
7:37 am
Our Hall of Fame manager is the reason we are sinking like a rock. Consistent playing of those that should be on the bench or sent down (Schafer, Francouer, Bennett, Johnson). Insane mismanagement of the bullpen and lack of fundamentals ingame. This has been going on for four years now. It is way past time to get rid of the old wife beater!