Your attention, please: This guy here criticizes Bobby Cox!
"You're lying! Bradley would never write anything like that!" (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
I, Mark Bradley, being of failing body and always-feeble mind, do solemnly swear that I write the following of my own free will. I am not under duress. I am not under the influence of anything stronger than Snapple Diet Lemon. I write this for no other reason than I happen to believe it. And also, I must admit, for the shock value of imagining the faces of those hundreds of thousands who’ve said: “No way this guy ever says anything bad about Bobby.”
Frank Wren took the big heat over the winter, but the general manager of uncertain portfolio, has had a much better season than his Hall of Fame manager. This marks the first time in Bobby Cox’s second tour as Braves manager his team can be said to have underperformed, at least in the regular season. This isn’t a team of vast talent, no, but neither is this a club that should have fallen from contention on Labor Day eve.
The Braves awoke Tuesday with the National League’s fourth-best ERA. Two of the teams above them are leading divisions, and the third, San Francisco, has a real chance of winning the wild card. A team with that sort of pitching could and should be in the playoff hunt, but the Braves are 7 1/2 games behind the wild card leader with 25 to go. In sum, it’s over.
If we fault Wren for not bolstering his batting order sooner — and we can also make the case that fixing the rotation first was the absolute proper course — we must concede the GM attempted correction after mid-course correction. He made three major in-season trades for everyday players, which is as much as anyone could reasonably expect. And there’s also this:
The Braves haven’t hit all that much, but as of Labor Day they had a higher team batting average than the Cardinals, the Phillies and the Giants. Put another way, the Braves have both outhit and outpitched Philadelphia — and yet they lag in the standings by 8 games.
For nearly two decades we’ve assumed Cox will maximize the resources on hand. He hasn’t done it this season. He has overworked his bullpen and done strange things with his two nominal closers and relied on Greg Norton to get the key pinch-hit two dozen times too many. He has also failed to be even slightly creative with his lineup.
It’s one thing to play for the three-run homer if you have men capable of hitting one. The Braves, alas, are 10th among 16 National League clubs in home runs. Brian McCann leads the Braves with 18 but wouldn’t lead 13 other NL teams. Were he a Phil, he’d be tied for fifth.
Loading ...If you can’t hit the ball over yonder wall, you must find alternatives. The Braves are fourth in the league in hits, which tells us they’ve gotten men aboard, but are next-to-last in stolen bases and fourth-worst at grounding into double plays. You should be able to do more with singles than they’ve done.
I’ve long resisted the notion that the Braves don’t play with passion. (This is baseball, where passion fizzles by Memorial Day and precision trumps all.) That said, this team wasted too many expertly pitched games against bad teams. (Case study: The Braves yielded a total of 10 runs over 30 innings to sub-.500 Cincinnati and just got swept.)
No, this suddenly lost season wasn’t all the manager’s doing. Seasons never are. A manager can’t hit and pitch for his men. But he can put those men in better position to succeed. Even great players have off-years. We’ve just seen a great manager have his.
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372 comments Add your comment
Steve from OH
September 9th, 2009
7:18 pm
Oh, and by the way, they don’t actually do lobotomies anymore…so yeah, work on a new insult, big guy…
jjmsr
September 9th, 2009
9:27 pm
Hey Coach,
I agree that Cox has be replaced BUT calling the man stupid shows your mental capacity not his. His problem is that he too soft on players and allows the game to get away at times. That is not stupidity but a passion to play everyone.
Ryan
September 9th, 2009
10:24 pm
Why the hell did Cox pull Hanson tonight. Had a chance to pitch a shutout, instead Soriano blows it. Soriano was great the first half, but has sucked the second. I would have rather seen Moylan come in, especially with the bases loaded after Soriano screwed up to start the inning.
SOB
Cox
Kevrock/Smarty Jones
September 9th, 2009
10:28 pm
Tonight’s boneheaded move by Bobby Cox cost us the game. Hanson is young and pitching a SHUT OUT and he pulls him. The kid is young he is not going to get hurt. But yet he pulls him. Puts in Soriano and loses the game. ‘98 was the year for the Coup for Leyland and we blew it.
Mark Bradley
September 9th, 2009
10:30 pm
What can you say about this one? Hanson gets 24 outs and doesn’t give up a run. Soriano gets one out and loses the game. Wow.
BravesfaninMD
September 9th, 2009
10:41 pm
right on Mark Bradley especially after the fiasco tonight taking out Tommy… what a stupid decision!
Furmanisanidiot
September 9th, 2009
10:50 pm
Huge Bobby fan, but after watching Soriano give up 3 runs in back to back games and my manager “sticking” with his closer AND blowing the game for our future ACE….time to go bobby, take a back seat… do so some beer commercial and take it easy you have LOST it.
Good Grief
September 9th, 2009
10:54 pm
I tried telling myself to stay away because the season was over anyway, but after what I just seen tonight I just can’t do it and take it anymore.
You think Cox has failed just this season???? Let’s take a look at the past 3 seasons. Including this year we’ve had at least 3 june swoons in which we slip below .500 and have to fight back up that by the time we do get over .500 the Phillies are well ahead. I said before the all-star break that this team wouldn’t make it because Bobby would blow more games than his players. This season ended for me a week and a half ago when Bobby sent Javy back out another inning against Florida and let him stay in there to late. Florida went on to go ahead 6 to 3. The Braves fought back to see Wes Helms homer and win the game..
We’ve needed at least two fresh bullpens for a couple of seasons to pitch for Bobby because the bullpen is shot before we reach the midway point of the season for ol’ Coxxy. If its not the mishandling of the pin its the keeping of players like KJ and constantly going to Gregg “Swing and a Miss” Norton.
Great job tonight Bobby…great job…
Mark Bradley
September 9th, 2009
10:55 pm
That’s the way, for worse or better, the modern game is played. The closer always works the ninth inning (with a lead). And I understand not wanting a tiring Hanson to face the top of the order a fourth time. But still …
Andrew
September 9th, 2009
11:04 pm
Mark
Great article on Bobby Cox I could not agree more. Can someone PLEASE,PLEASE, PLEASE. find a stat showing then number of times the braves starters have gone past the 5th inning and left with a lead only for Bobby Cox to pull them because he believes his starters should only pitch 7 innings because he wants Gonzales and Soriano. He refuses to let his starters win the game, How many games has his decisions caused us to loose this year. We have the fourth best pitching staff and only one complete game all year. I can under stand in april pulling your started but it’s september Bobby come on. There is something wrong when are bullpin leads in innings pitched, it’s because Bobby pulls the starters way to early. I think Bobby has lost us 10 or more games this year. Another example tonight. Tommy pitching great, Astros cant touch him, Only 98 pitches let him lose the game. Was I the only one at home thinking we just lost when Soriano came into the game. You could see it in the Braves dougout on T.V they knew we were going to loose and you could see it after the game.
ANYBODY FEEL THE SAME WAY.
Mark Bradley
September 9th, 2009
11:07 pm
Andrew, I just finished checking some numbers. The Braves have three of the top seven pitchers in the National League in appearances — Moylan, O’Flaherty and Gonzalez — but also have 84 quality starts, which is second-most in all of baseball. (A quality start means the starting pitcher goes at least six innings.) You wouldn’t think the same team could produce that bizarre set of statistics, but the Braves have.
Andrew
September 9th, 2009
11:23 pm
Mark
Thanks for the stat on the pitchers, I know we dont have the best hitting team in MLB but I believe we have one of the Top three starting staffs in MLB so thats why it makes me mad when Bobby does crap like tonight. LET ME REPEAT THIS IT’S NOT APRIL. 98 PITCHES 98,98,98. There is a reason our bullpen is tired it’s because of Bobby. IF OUR BULLPEN IS OVER WORKED HERE IS AN IDEA HOW ABOUT TELLING THE COACH HEY I CANT GO TONIGHT CAN THE STARTERS GO 8 OR 9. OR BOBBY THINK ABOUT THIS I HAVE WORN OUT MY BULLPEN LET THE STARTERS GO 8 OR 9.
REM1
September 9th, 2009
11:31 pm
BOBBY COX HAS TO BE THE MOST INCOMPETENT MANAGER IN SPORTS. HE CONTINUES TO LOSE GAMES AFTER TURNING OVER LEADS TO AN OVERWORKED BULLPEN. I’LL TAKE ANY BRAVES PITCHER IN LATE INNING PINCH HIT ROLE RATHER THAN OUR EXPERT PROFESSIONAL HITTER(GREG NORTON). COOPERSTOWN WAS IN HIS GRASP, BUT MAY BE PASSING HIM BY NOW THAT HE HAS FAILED MISSERABLY TO LEAD A TEAM THAT SHOULD BE AT LEAST IN A POSITION FOR A WILDCARD SPOT. TRIED TO BE POSITIVE THROUGHOUT THE LAST FEW YEARS AND UNDERSTOOD LOSING WITH INFERIOR TALENT, BUT NOW THERE’S ENOUGH TALENT BUT AN INFERIOR COACH.
Where's Wainwright? Winning #18
September 10th, 2009
12:28 am
Bobby blew it again tonight by not letting Hanson go out and finish the deal. But I still say old GM John and should share the blame–give Cox the guys he should have had, including Wainwright starting and Neftali Feliz closing, and he’d win more games. Look at who the front office folks in St. Louis have added in the past few years, plus mid-season this year. They’ve let pitchers develop, not traded them for rent a hitters. LaRussa is stacked with help. Bobby has had to work with inferior tools.
Doug
September 10th, 2009
11:59 am
You have to win with the players you have. Wanting other players who may not even like playing in Atlanta is absurd. Cox demoralized Hanson, the team, the Fans, and even the announcers last night. I was awed when the cameras showed Cox extending his hand to Hanson, who hesitated in accepting it. Hanson’s body language hanging over the fence watching helplessly as a brilliant performance collapsed under the demoralization that had just took place, said it all. Can’t imagine why this team with at least a wild card shot, is now looking for miracles or at least help from other teams.
JimK
September 10th, 2009
8:11 pm
My opinion of Bobby Cox is the same after reading this article. But my opinion of Mark Bradley has risen immeasurably.
By all accounts Cox was a great manager to play for. The results speak for themselves, especially when he had Leo Mazzone implementing the Johnny Sain philosophy with three of the greatest pitchers of all time. The results this year also speak volumes.
As a 60 year old man, I know the mental sharpness and physical stamina it took to work effectively until 10PM one day a week. I now work until 7PM. Bobby is 68 and works past 10PM five or six nights a week. He should retire before his natural decline diminishes the team morale he worked so hard to build. Ballplayers know who the weakest link is, and it must be such an embarrassment for them to know it is now the fine gentleman who manages the team.
Bobby or Joe: Which Cox has had the worse month? | Mark Bradley
September 11th, 2009
10:15 am
[...] Rafael Soriano was touched for two runs while recording one out. Has gotten hammered in this space, first here and then here. Joe Cox in Stillwater. (Bill Waugh for the [...]
Riles
September 11th, 2009
10:15 pm
Mark I would ask the question also why is Bobby the best you have ever seen? He blows up his bullpen year after year. He manages close games like he is working with a 40 man roster. I don’t know how many times I have sat in front of the TV and said Bobby will use this reliever and that reliever,a well as pinch hit player A and player B and be out of pitchers and bench if it goes to extra innings. This has happened time after time. This years handling of the bullpen is the worst I have ever seen and I have bee watching MLB since 1957. I come from a state where Oregon State played get ‘em on, get’em over and get’em in. They won 2 consecutive CWS that way. If you do not have speed you better have long ball or figure out how to utilize the legs you have. Bobby has always been terrible at winning without the HR.
BobbyCox
September 12th, 2009
2:53 pm
I know, I know, a lot of you outthere want my hide but, to tell the truth, I don’t see how Florida can get a THIRD WORLD SERIES TITLE in the amount of time they have been a team in the major leagues (our own division). What has it been? Twenty some odd years? Hell, we won it once ourselves during the 40+ years we’ve been in Atlanta (from Milwaukee). We had better talent, better pitching, better coachs, yada, yada, yada and we won! What have they had? Lower payrolls, less time in the league, less-known coaching staffs, little-recognized players, yada yada yada and only TWO SERIES TITLES in twenty+ years?
here’s my take…oops, excuse me for a few minutes! this is the bottom of the ninth, we are behind three runs, bases are loaded and I’ve got to go change the lineup. Gotta go with my best: Greg Norton! I made a slight mistake by going to Soriano in the top of the inning, what that he’s blown only 4 games this season (not bad for a closer). If we win this game, we will escape the cellar and the Nats will have it all to themselves.
Bobby
The Braves: It's still over, but not quite done with | Mark Bradley
September 14th, 2009
6:15 am
[...] said it was over last week, and I meant it then and mean it still. With 19 games to go, the Braves are 7 1/2 games behind [...]
Bobby Cox a bad tactician? Nope. Just a great manager | Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2009
10:00 am
[...] in his seeming overuse of the bullpen (to say nothing of Greg Norton)? Sure. But even in a season that hasn’t seemed the esteemed manager’s finest, his team entered the final 10 days with a realistic chance to make the playoffs. And that body of [...]
Bobby Cox a bad tactician? Because of Puckett? Come on – Atlanta Journal Constitution « CelebrityTwitterGossip.com
October 4th, 2009
8:31 pm
[...] maddening in his seeming overuse of the bullpen (to say nothing of Greg Norton)? Sure. But even in a season that hasn’t seemed the esteemed manager’s finest, his team entered the final 10 days with a realistic chance to make the playoffs. And that body of [...]