Presenting the thumbnail guide to the 2010 Atlanta Braves
This was Ejection No. 150. There has been one more since. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
One more season for a club, one last ride for the Thumb King. Bobby Cox is retiring as manager after the 2010 Braves, who are congregating for spring training, finish playing, and one of the summer’s subplots will be to see if the all-time ejection leader can lay claim to being the first (and surely the last) man ever to be thrown out of a full season’s worth of games. (Meaning 162.)
It will take determination and stamina and some luck, but I’m thinking Cox can do it. (He’s at 151 ejections and counting.) As for his final team … well, let’s let our own thumbs do the work.
Thumbs up for youth. Jair Jurrjens is 24 and nearing All-Star status. Tommy Hanson is 23 and finished third in the 2009 Rookie of the Year voting. Jason Heyward is 20 and might be named the 2010 Rookie of the Year. Freddie Freeman is 20 and might be named the 2011 Rookie of the Year. Arodys Vizcaino is 19 and might salvage the Javier Vazquez trade for Frank Wren. Put simply, the Braves can match prospects with any club.
Thumbs down for age. Chipper Jones is 37 and is coming off his worst season. Derek Lowe is 36 and is coming off his worst season since 2004. The Braves re-signed Tim Hudson, who’s 34 and who had arm surgery in 2008. They signed Billy Wagner, who’s 38 and who likewise had arm surgery in 2008. They signed Troy Glaus, who’s 33 and who had shoulder surgery last summer. They signed set-up man Takashi Saito, who’s 40. That makes two starting pitchers, two key relievers and two corner infielders on the far side of 30, three of whom have had surgery in the past two years. That’s a lot of risk.
Thumbs up for the bullpen. Even if some of them are old, there are a lot of arms here. It will be tough even for Cox to overtax this relief corps. Though he’ll try.
Thumbs down for the outfield. Heyward could turn this into a thumbs-up just by himself, but that’s probably too much to ask of a rookie who mightn’t even begin the season in the big leagues. Without him in the mix, the Braves are looking at some combination of Matt Diaz, Nate McLouth and Melky Cabrera. That’s substandard.
Thumbs up for the rotation. Hudson, Lowe, Hanson, Jurrjens and Kenshin Kawakami — that’s a good group.
Thumbs down for the rotation. With Vazquez, it would have been a great group.
Thumbs up for the farewell tour. Teams across the majors will line up to pay tribute on his final visit. Cox will hate it — after a career in the spotlight, he still gets antsy doing an on-camera interview — but it will be nice to see the rest of the sport acknowledge what too many of us locals have taken for granted or discounted entirely: That this is among the handful of greatest managers ever.
Thumbs down for winning one for the skipper. This is baseball. Rah-rah stuff doesn’t work. (If it did, Larry Bowa would have been Walter Alston.) The desire to send Cox out a winner might flare in September, provided the Braves are still in it, but it won’t be evident in April or June or August. These guys play 162 games. Nobody can stay geeked up for that long.
Loading ...Thumbs up for the Phillies’ flub. The team that has won three division titles in succession had a chance to assemble the best 1-2-3 array since Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz but traded Cliff Lee once they’d landed Roy Halladay. Asked about Halladay, Cox said: “At least we don’t have to face the other guy, too.”
Thumbs down for the feisty Fish. Over the past two seasons the Florida Marlins have won 13 more games than the Braves and have finished ahead of them both times. This winter Florida didn’t do as it traditionally does — sell off its good young players. On the contrary, the Marlins re-upped both pitcher Josh Johnson and second baseman Dan Uggla.
The all-thumbs forecast: Someone else will finish first in the East, but it won’t be the Braves. Florida will edge the Phillies. The Braves will win 85 games, one down from last season, and come home third, same as last season. And then the real fun will begin: Who replaces the Thumb King?
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202 comments Add your comment
bravofan
February 19th, 2010
12:05 pm
anybody is welcome to join my streak for the cash game on espn its pretty fun the group is called Atlanta Braves.
Walker, Texas Ranger
February 19th, 2010
12:06 pm
It will be the Phillies in a run away. They have the best lineup in the east and the best rotation in the east. Phillies will have it sewn up by August 1 and clinched by Sept 5 when they have a 20 game lead. I also think the Braves will be sellers when the trade deadline approaches.
Anonymous
February 19th, 2010
12:17 pm
Don, you are a moron. An average manager huh? He is only #4 all-time on the wins list. I am sure you could do much better right?
Score
February 19th, 2010
12:17 pm
Davey Johnson should replace Bobby Cox…now if you dont like that you can jump off the wagon…
Sugar Bear Blanks
February 19th, 2010
12:21 pm
Billy Wagne? French guy…. maybe a non-roster invitee, I’ma thinking.
I Swanee, you’re getting as bad as D. Orlando Leadbutt with your spelling.
ElBraggO
February 19th, 2010
12:21 pm
Dan you put it all in a cocconut shell. You are 100% correct sir on all counts about Bobby Sox.
ElBraggO
February 19th, 2010
12:22 pm
I meant to say Don not Dan.
ElBraggO
February 19th, 2010
12:24 pm
Enter your comments here
MitchC
February 19th, 2010
12:25 pm
Mark, I disagree with your prediction, buddy. I think that unless major injuries hit them, we have to concede the division to the Phillies going away. They will win close to 100 games, and have the division sewed up by summer.
As for the Braves: Yes, they are aging, and yes, we know Chipper wont play more than 120-130 games. However, we have Mccann, and two excellent young starters in Hanson and Jair, not to mention another guy, Tim Hudson, who is one of the best all time, and isn’t that old Lowe is showing some age, but I think he will win at least 15, and have a lower ERA.
The bullpen does unnerve me a bit. I would have re signed at least one of the Sori/Gonzo pair. Wagner is going to be 39, but he did look good late last year. I would have hoped we would have signed someone younger to set him up other than 40 year old Saito.
I think if everyone produces as they should, and health is fairly good, the Braves will have a win total in the high 80s, and either snare the wild card, or fight for it into the last week of the season. If I had to say an exact prediction, it would be 88 wins, and the wild card.
Maybe I’m optimistic, but this is how I see it. Oh, and the Sporting News Yearbook 2010 has the Braves picked to finish second in the East, by the way, with the Cubs as the wild card.
Sugar Bear Blanks
February 19th, 2010
12:32 pm
Anon……. Don is just another in the multitude of know-it-all TV managers.
For the last 20 years the Braves have been in or just missed the playoffs every single season. It has to be pure coincidence that Cox has managed the team that entire time. No other team in baseball can boast the same run, but if Bobby Cox was even half the manager Don fancies himself, They’da won the World Series at least every other year.
Managing (sometimes monstrous, sometimes fragile) egos and injuries over a long season is as much a part of running a team as any of the technical aspects of which Don is the unquestioned expert. Over baseball history, very few managers have ever done it better, or even as well.
I sure hope Donnie can find the time to help the club in their search for a quality manager after BC.
jojo
February 19th, 2010
12:36 pm
I think Fredi would be a great manager for the Braves. He has done a great job with very little talent and a lot of injuries to his starting staff. While I am not a Frank Wren fan he has added some pop to the lineup with Hinski and Glaus. If Chipper Jones can come back half way from his best season the Braves could be solid. Finish second and gain the Wild Card.
extremus
February 19th, 2010
12:36 pm
Just a crazy thought; what if somehow the Braves pegged Joe Torre (who is in the last season of his contract with the Dodgers) to replace Cox as Manager next season? Considering what happened the last time he did so (in 1982, the year the Braves became the MLB’s “America’s Team” and won the NL West), it’d be interesting to see if history repeated itself. Torre gave a lot of credit to Cox back then for developing the talent that helped him win the division back then, and it fostered a mutual respect and admiration between them from what I understand; could he take the Braves back to title contention again?
Like I said, just a thought. Kind of like Liberty Media selling the Braves to a competent and passionate human owner within the next couple of years once their tax write-off expires. Things COULD get better then, folks. A lot better. Here’s hoping.
P Rose
February 19th, 2010
12:37 pm
Bobby gets that thumb
When the strikes don’t come
And he wants those calls
But the ump calls balls
Derek Lowe can’t throw
Low enough although
He hopes they’ll chase
What’s above their waist
Bobby Cox gets sore
When he hears “ball four!”
So he tells that ump
That his mom’s a chump
And he gets that thumb
And he looks quite dumb
As he rubs his head
And his face gets red
And the fans all boo
As he says f@%# you!
To the guys in black
Limpin’ down that track
To the clubhouse door
And the fans all roar
But the fans can cheer
Only one more year
They can chop and chant
For the man that can’t
Let an umpire crew
Make a call or two
With a conscience clear
And without no fear
Of the man that raves
LET’S GO BRAVES!
Steve
February 19th, 2010
12:42 pm
P Rose please get a life.
ElBraggO
February 19th, 2010
12:47 pm
The Braves have been in and just missed the playoffs in most every season since Bobby Sox came back the second time, but they have had some powerfully good teams in that time, that should have went on further into the playoffs, than where they ended up. The Braves should have won at least 3 World Series under Bobby Sox instead of the one.A great or even a good manager could have accomlished this with the amount of talented players that Bobby Sox was afforded during his reign.
DESPIRATEBRAVESFAN
February 19th, 2010
12:47 pm
I suffered with the Braves from about 1967 until 1969, and then from 1970 to 1980; and then from 1981 to 1991. I love the Braves, but hate the ownership, who hamstring the day to day management of the team. There is NO WAY that the Braves will be a competative team so long as Liberty Media owns them. They purchased the team from Time Warner/AOL with stock so that they would have a no tax owed on the purchase if they kept the team X number of years. Message to Liberty Media: SELL THE FREAK’N TEAM to someone who really cares about putting a championship centender on the field! Until then, I don’t care who replaces Bobby Cox, the Braves will remain a mediocre team, at best.
?
February 19th, 2010
12:53 pm
ElBraggo- Bobby wasn’t running the bases for Lonnie Smith in ‘91 and he didn’t tell Wohlers to throw a slider to Leyritz in ‘96.
DV
February 19th, 2010
12:57 pm
Braves will win more than 85 games. Take that to the bank
ElBraggO
February 19th, 2010
1:02 pm
I would like to see the front office make Bobby wear mittens during the games so that we wouldn’t have to watch him make his harvest from that booger farm between his eyes. Or else ask the cameraman not to pan the dugout while he’s in the middle of his business.But he probably does it the whole game, at least it seems like every shot of him he is going to town on that nose.
Senator Blutarski
February 19th, 2010
1:05 pm
Braves could win 100 games if everything goes well…should win at least 85 games with the pitching, even if some of the “ifs” don’t quite pan out that well…
Steve
February 19th, 2010
1:08 pm
For all of you bashing Bobby Cox, you will miss him down the road.
Anthony
February 19th, 2010
1:13 pm
I’m using my thumb, along with my forefinger, to pinch my nose to stop the smell of this NL East third place team. The over under is 90 games for Chipee along with the rest of Wren/Bobby’s broken boys. The young guns with no coaching don’t improve, just develop bad habits. Going to be another year of empty seats/hollow sounds in the Ted with this bunch. I’ll pay attention (and buy tickets) when management gets serious about winning the World Series. Till then, I’ll watch the contenders, not the second tier where the Braves reside.
Daniel
February 19th, 2010
1:33 pm
Anthony- I am glad you won’t be there, because I certainly don’t enjoy going to the ballpark with a bunch of front running, whiney, what have you done for me lately fans who are only loyal to whoever is the chic pick that year. Plus those kind of fans tend to smell bad, too much AXE double pits to chesty.
ElBraggO
February 19th, 2010
1:35 pm
? Lonnie Smith not rounding third was a very strange play and very suspicious in my humble opinion. But Bobby
Sox put Lieberant in against Puckett in a game winning situation, in an earlier game, when everyone in Baseball knew that Puckett owned Lieberant.That was one of the many mistakes that Bobby Sox made in that series that cost them the championship that year.In fact Mr. Sox moves could be used in a course to teach managers how to lose a world series, because the Braves lost it because of his stupid managing. As for the 96 series, I believe that was the 3rd game,the Braves still had a 2-1 advantage with 2 more games to play at home, and they(the Braves) were consider(by many) to be the best team in baseball at the time(far superior to the Yanks back then).And still lost the series in 6 games.If I were the owner I would have to put that on the manager and he would have been unemployed very shortly after the Sixth Game.
Mark Biles
February 19th, 2010
1:38 pm
I’m sticking with my 92 win wild card prediction second place finish behind the NL East winning Phillies. I think Cox’s farewell gives the Braves the incentive to at least win the wild card.
I just hope we don’t lose yet another first-round playoff series on our home field as we did to the Giants, Cubs and Astros in 03,04, and 05.
?
February 19th, 2010
1:38 pm
Anthony- When did you become a Braves fan? If you want to be a frontrunner, just follow the Yankees. We won’t miss you.
Benjamin
February 19th, 2010
1:40 pm
This team is almost too unpredictable at this point, with Chipper’s age, Troy’s health, Tim’s health, and the main two guys of our bullpen combining at a ripe age of 78.
A lot will depend on how ready Jason Heyward is for stardom — and everything from two months – September in Gwinnett to Opening Day impact player in right field are possible with him — and how healthy the above-mentioned folks can be. If all things turn up rosy, we’re not just a division winner, but a legitimate contender for the World Series. If Chipper or Glaus fall, and Huddy’s arm isn’t quite ready for prime time, and Melky Cabrera is our Opening Day right or left fielder… we might be lucky to finish third.
Time will tell.
Benjamin
February 19th, 2010
1:44 pm
For the record, I picked “Third or worse.” In part because I’m a glass half-empty sort of guy…
It’s much nicer to be pleasantly surprised than bitterly disappointed.
?
February 19th, 2010
1:47 pm
Melky = Luis Polonia
Skeezix
February 19th, 2010
1:50 pm
Ain’t buying this offense and pitching is no better, maybe weaker, than 2009….most Likely finish = third (again; but it’s possible we could move into second. Phillies, assuming they stay healthy, are first again. I think the Nats will be better this year and the Marlins not as good as 2009.
Herschel Talker
February 19th, 2010
1:51 pm
MB:
I love your writing, but this is ridiculous. The Phillies are supremely more talented than the Marlins. And they have the winning streak in their blood thanks to the last two years. On what could you possibly be basing your prediction of them beating the Phillies, other than the desire to be a charming contrarian?
Oh, and by the way, you can book Freddie Gonzalez as Braves manager in 2011. It is a done deal.
HT
Jesse Stone
February 19th, 2010
1:51 pm
I thought our OF was putrid, then I checked out the Padres depth chart. OUCH!
ElBraggO
February 19th, 2010
1:53 pm
? Bobby didn’t run the bases in 91,but he did make enough mistakes in the previous 6 games to let it come down to that play making the difference in game 7. Like, putting Lierbrant in against Pluckett in a tied game in extra inning in minnesota, which led to a walkoff win for the Twins.In 96, that was the 3rd game, which still left the Braves up 2to1 with 2 more to play in Atlanta. You have the best team in Baseball and still lose the series in 6 games.Yeah, I would say the situation had a lot to the managing in 96, and if I were the owner, Mr. Sox would have been sent down the road kicking beer cans looking for another job then.
Matt the Brave
February 19th, 2010
1:58 pm
NONONONONONO on Ned Yost. You don’t get fired with like a month left in the season when you’re in the pennant race. It means he’s poison. Notice that not even the Braves have hired him as an assistant coach? Do you REALLY think that we need this guy? I say no.
Now, I know everyone is going to call me crazy on this one, but the Braves need to at least interview Ryne Sandberg. He’s stuck with the Iowa Cubs because Sweet Lou is saying he’s not going anywhere. Sandberg has stated that he wants to manage at the MLB level, and honestly, he’s won at every level he’s coached at in the minors. I think that he’s holding out for the Cubs job, but I think that he would be a superb manager here.
J-bone
February 19th, 2010
2:03 pm
WS: Braves over NYY in 7; CJ wins game 7 in the bottom of the 9th with a, yes that’s right, 3-run homer.
Jeff
February 19th, 2010
2:17 pm
Anyone who thinks we will make the playoffs this year needs to put the bottle down and sober up.
Chris
February 19th, 2010
2:26 pm
Mark the one area you touched on that is going to be the down fall of this team in the outfield. McLouth will steal bases and hit with some power but its all downhill from there. To pin the hopes that Heyward is ready is a long shot. I see him being like Shaffer, he comes up and his a decent start, pitchers adjust and he tanks.
Johnny Damon may help but I don’t think we need two leadoff men and yes I am referring to McLouth is the other leadoff man. He will do just fine in that spot. I think we need someone like Dye who can give us some pop during those times when Chipper or Glaus is on the shelf and we all know there will be that point in the season when that is going to happen.
John
February 19th, 2010
2:30 pm
Best additions for the Braves are all by subtraction. Looks like it’ll be a phased approach and start no earlier than next year.
Phase One – 2011 – Good by Bobby. Enjoy your retirement. Now let’s get a real field manager in here.
Phase Two – Whenver his doggoned contract expires – Adios Larry Chipper, you over-paid, injury prone, choke artist.
Phase Three – the sooner the better – Liberty Media sells the Bravos to ownership that’s acutally trying to win a world championship of major league baseball. It’s called spending a little mone to retain your talent. We look more like the damned Pittsburgh Pirates every day. Or is that the Kansas City Royals?
?
February 19th, 2010
2:31 pm
ElBraggo- “If I were the owner….”. But you’re not. Puckett was 0-2 with 2 K’s against Leibrandt to that point. Leibrandt also had better success against righties than against lefties.
No mention of Cox taking out Wohlers in the 9th for little used Borbon? Borbon set down Thome, Alomar, and Lofton in order.
People in the business know that Cox is one of the greats that is destined for Cooperstown. I think I’ll side with them.
?
February 19th, 2010
2:33 pm
That Borbon move was in the ‘95 series. Borbon hadn’t pitched in nearly 3 weeks to that point.
chasjons
February 19th, 2010
2:35 pm
Bobby Cox is a great manager and the Braves have received and retained talent that they never would have had if it weren’t for Bobby. How many times have you heard a player say, “I really want to play for Bobby Cox”. If you didn’t suffer through the 70’s and 80’s with the Braves then you are most likely spoiled and expect the Braves to be in the World Series every year. Sure, I question his game strategy from time to time and think he overused the bullpen last year. Given the financial constraints I think Frank Wren has done a great job assembling a team that has the potential to be in the playoffs. As a fan, that is all I ask for. Other than the Lowe contract the Braves have some flexibility going forward and aren’t overly constrained by expensive, long term contracts. Sure there is risk with some of our injury plagued players, but how much risk is there to an affordable 1 year contract with much upside? Plus, for those of you that think Frank Wren is an idiot do you not realize that he consults with Schuerholz and Cox before making decisions? Go Braves! Sincerely, 30+ year Brave Fan
?
February 19th, 2010
2:35 pm
John- What “real field manager” are you speaking of? Show me a “real field manager” and I’ll show you good players.
raleighbravefan
February 19th, 2010
2:36 pm
Jeff – you must be talking about the Pirates, because anyone who thinks we have NO reasonable chance, if not a good chance to make at least WC isn’t paying attention.
raleighbravefan
February 19th, 2010
2:47 pm
We may have some injuries. Every team does. Just ask the 2009 Mets, and most of those were to young guys with no history of problems.
A good portion of the Braves playoff/world series problems during the glory years was due to our great pitching staff (except Smoltz) often not being great. Glavin and Maddox were both sub-par during many playoff appearances (partly due to umpires changing the strike zone), and JS never invested enough in the bullpen. How many of those years did we have a dependable bullpen, especially closer? Of cours, all of that was also Bobby’s fault.
John
February 19th, 2010
2:47 pm
Cox has had a strangle-hold (literally) on the Braves for darn near two decades. His pitching rotation at its best will stand as the Mount Rushmore of modern baseball. He had all the talent in the world at his disposal this side of the Yankees.
What the heck do we have to show for it, ?? That’s a question to you, ?.
I’ll answer my own question, ?. One world championship and fourteen other years of opportunity sqandered to build a legacy as an all-time great team. it was right there for the taking.
Rarely can a body of work speak more loudly than Cox’s does. Give him great talent, and it will get him to the post season, where 14/15 times, he leaves with a scratch of his head and his tail tucked between his legs. Give him respectable talent and he’s a .500 manager. It’s time for him to give somebody else – ANYBODY else – a chance.
Hillbilly Deluxe
February 19th, 2010
2:51 pm
It will be tough even for Cox to overtax this relief corps. Though he’ll try.
I have faith in him; he can do it.
Give them a chance
February 19th, 2010
3:05 pm
Our outfield is going to be Heyward, Schafer and Mc and our 1st baseman will end up being Freddie while Gloss goes over to play 3rd. We will take the National League East. Heyward and Schafer will tear it up, Freddie will be great at 1st and Chipper will sit on the bench. Prado will hit 25 home runs and our pitchers will be very very good. I see Hanson winning the Cy this year. Anyone want to doubt me. Wait and see. This will be a killer year for all braves fans. Lots of excitement when they move the rookies in to replace the old and tired.
Steve
February 19th, 2010
3:06 pm
John, you are a fool. Yes, they have sucked in the playoffs but at least they have BEEN THERE EVERY YEAR until recently. I would rather that happen then them not go to the playoffs at all.
Mitchell
February 19th, 2010
3:08 pm
Teams across the majors will line up to pay tribute on his final visit. Cox will hate it — after a career in the spotlight, he still gets antsy doing an on-camera interview — but it will be nice to see the rest of the sport acknowledge what too many of us locals have taken for granted or discounted entirely: That this is among the handful of greatest managers ever.
With the exception of the last five years and every year in the playoffs except one. The fact is there’s no reason the Braves can’t win the wild card at the very least if not the division if not the World Series. None.
John
February 19th, 2010
3:14 pm
Name calling? How rude. The question, numbnuts, is not whether we made the playoffs, but whether, given the talent advantage the Braves had, knot-head, that just getting to the playoffs was sufficient.
Obviously to you and those like you, just getting there was good enough.
And lets not forget that many of those post-season appearances were earned winning a five-team race. I think the Braves ignoble performance once in the playoffs proved the value of being the best-of-five. It’s called S-Q-U-A-T.