As constituted, these Braves aren’t going to win anything
Not to say this team has gone to the dogs, but ... you get the idea. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
It isn’t just that the Braves aren’t hitting. It’s that they don’t look as if they’re ever going to hit.
Troy Glaus isn’t what he was. Nate McLouth isn’t what he was. Melky Cabrera was never anything special. Yunel Escobar seems to have regressed. Chipper Jones is 38. You tell me: Is that batting order ever apt to strike fear into the hearts of enemy hurlers?
Shed a tear here for Frank Wren. Presumably on orders from above, he keeps trying to put a team together on the cheap. But there aren’t many GMs who can bring that off — remember, John Schuerholz’s run of excellence was forged when the Braves and Yankees were trying to outspend each other — and Wren has evinced no signs of being a Billy Beane-counter.
What Wren did this offseason hasn’t worked. (Other than bringing up Jason Heyward, which was a no-brainer.) Javier Vazquez hasn’t pitched well for the Yankees, but wouldn’t you rather see Vazquez in the Braves’ rotation, as opposed to Kenshin Kawakami? Cabrera isn’t a starting outfielder. Glaus isn’t a starting infielder. Billy Wagner has been pretty good, but what’s the point of having Billy Wagner if there’s never a case to close?
The Braves are last, by a considerable distance, in the National League in hitting. They’re 10th in pitching. The 1965 Dodgers could win games 1-0, but there’s no Koufax or Drysdale here — or a Glavine or a Maddux or a Smoltz — here. These Braves have to hit, if just a bit, to win. And they can’t.
It has, granted, been only 22 games, but they’ve been 22 sobering games. Ten days ago the Braves staged as outrageous a comeback as any team ever has — the three-homer astonishment against Philadelphia’s Ryan Madson and Jose Contreras — to tie for first place in the NL East. They haven’t won since. They’ve scored 17 runs in nine games.
They’re last in the NL East. (They’re three full games out of fourth place.) They’re tied with the Dodgers for last in the National League. In all of the majors, only Baltimore has been worse. Even with Heyward working his wonders, his team has collapsed around him.
This is baseball. A good team can overcome a bad start. The 2009 Colorado Rockies were 9-13 after 22 games (and 20-32 after 52) and made the playoffs. But they had to fire their manager to do it, and that’s not an option here. Besides, you could look at the Rox and say, “That team’s losing, but it still has some players.” You can’t say that about these Braves.
This, sad to say, isn’t a very good team. It has some pitchers but too few hitters. As constituted, these Braves aren’t going to win anything.
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461 comments Add your comment
Justin
April 30th, 2010
12:41 pm
Jermaine Dye is actually a great idea. We KNOW he can hit. He may lead the team in HRs for the year if he comes (except for maybe Heyward). Do they want to spend $5m on a 1 year contract for an aging slugger? That is the only question. Did y’all see the stat that the Braves are like 1-12 in games where they don’t homer this year? Evidently Bobby didn’t or he would be doing things to try and generate runs (ie manufacture runs). We LIVE off of the long-ball, but we don’t hit long balls…I’m not a mathmetician, but if you look at that formula, it means you die (preverbally of course).
Armchair Genius GM
April 30th, 2010
12:42 pm
How stupid of Frank Wren not to trade Derek Lowe for Tim Lincecum this winter … fool
Robards
April 30th, 2010
12:42 pm
Mark, You’ll be singing a different tune on Memorial Day when the Braves are in second place 3 games behind the Phillies.
JSD
April 30th, 2010
12:42 pm
“Right now,the Braves can’t win” Yea… We know Einstein.
Dorothy Davis
April 30th, 2010
12:43 pm
Being tied with the Dodgers for the Worst team in Baseball is certainly better than NOTHING, but who is going to buy a ticket to a Braves game now?
PMC
April 30th, 2010
12:46 pm
We was wondering when Wren was gonna call up a Clusters…?
When we was in a losing streak there was always a Clusters that would step in and break that streak.
JASon
April 30th, 2010
12:48 pm
Putting a player in a Braves uniform and “seeing how they do” is Bobby’s idea of coaching. He has given up on motivating his players or teaching them anything. He treats every player like Chipper Jones, who doesn’t need to work hard to be good. Well, we have now seen how bad his work ethic is in all of his little injuries. I can’t imagine this guy is doing anything good for our young players. I don’t care if the season is not “over” yet. I saw them that Saturday against the Mets, and I don’t care to see them anymore. They are a team that lacks effort, lacks fundamentals, lacks intelligence. It is a culture of mediocrity, under an enormous mirage about how great their manager is and how privileged they are to play under him. A player would be much better off in a different organization.
Shane
April 30th, 2010
12:48 pm
Javier Vasquez hasn’t pitched well for the Yankees
That may be understatement of the year.
awesomeo
April 30th, 2010
12:48 pm
mark bradley i hate reading ur blogs more than anyone else here.
i dont know y u have a job
Armchair Genius GM
April 30th, 2010
12:50 pm
Mark, I enjoy reading your blogs and appreciate your interaction.
Shug
April 30th, 2010
12:52 pm
Why is firing the manager out of the question? Cox has been a major league manager for 28 seasons and has 1 championship (and that was 15 years ago). That percentage is laughable. During many of those seasons, the Braves clearly had baseball’s best team, yet came up short. Now, they don’t have the best team and are coming up much, much shorter.
The Mcchicken Sandwich
April 30th, 2010
12:53 pm
I believe that the Braves need to move on to 2011….Once Cox leaves we need to totally move past the “championship era” and build a new dynasty, the team should take down all the banners in the outfield and just restart this team and legacy, the 14 straight was a great feat in sports but EVERY team is being compared to the past, we need to go forward and not back…We need to close the books on that era, heck even change the braves logo…But we need a new era to begin.
ITP Brave
April 30th, 2010
12:55 pm
I would take Vasquez over Lowe right now. Frankly, I’d rather keep KK and let Lowe walk.
I guess the other GMs were onto something when there were no takers for Lowe. But for ridiculous run support in his first three starts, he would have zero wins with no hope of any wins on the horizon. At least Hudson, JJ, Hanson and even KK look like they know what they’re doing on the mound.
To the point at issue, I think the attempts to play on the cheap have caught up with the Braves. Having Melky and Glaus as regulars is simply pitiful, but that is what you should expect when you have cheap, veteran players playing prime hitting positions (1B and LF). Add to that the fact that McClouth all of the sudden can’t hit, and you are in trouble. Pitchers can simply pitch around the only decent threats in the lineup (McCann and Prado).
Unfortunately, I see no moves coming. The Braves are waiting until next year, when Freddie Freeman and Jordan Schaffer can hopefully bring some young (read: cheap) production to the lineup.
gayle
April 30th, 2010
12:55 pm
Dozer @ 11:24 hit the nail on the head. All of this talk about trading for Gonzalez, firing Wren, TP, BC and anyone else seen breathing in the dugout is all nonsense. It makes no difference.
As long as this team is owned by a media conglomerate in Colorado who only bought this team as a tax dodge, the status quo will remain – it won’t change – never! No one has – or will be held accountable for this embarrasment.
As I mentioned yesterday, as long as the team posts a profit, they have won the World Series in the eyes of the owners. Liberty does not want a post season here. It has been proven in the past with other teams that a trip into the post season actually costs the team money – in additional operating expenses and more importantly higher contracts for the players on a successful team. And some of you with good memories can recall that the Braves did not even sell out the playoffs for the last few years they were in it.
So stop wringing your hands, Braves fans. If the group that owns this team has no concerns about the Braves winning, no amount of boycotts, screaming blogs or protestations will make any bit of difference.
Did it ever occur to anyone here that maybe BC wanted out last season and he was talked into staying because his “victory lap” would yield lots of revenue generating possibilities? Maybe that’s why even in this mess, even BC seems to be mailing it in.
This team will not change, has no reason to change if the people who own it are satisfied with what they are getting. How many more seasons of mediocre baseball do you have to see for this to sink in?
NC Braves Fan
April 30th, 2010
12:56 pm
I agree with you @ 12:50 Awesome Genius GM. MB is fun to go back and forth with – especially when he live-blogs from events.
And while Troy’s time in ATL has been rather *ahem* modest … the word play with his last name on the blog has been hall of fame caliber.
Kashi
April 30th, 2010
12:56 pm
Everyone STOP it. Braves are hitting and pitching. Its just that we are facing a better pitching and defensive teams.
Tami
April 30th, 2010
12:58 pm
Hey! I’m with MR. Let’s replace TP with Chris!! That’s a great idea! I saw a pitcher on the G-Braves’ game last night that the announcers expected might go up to replace JJ with his injury for a little while. That was the first G-Braves game I’ve ever watched, although I didn’t watch all of it. They’re 2nd in their division, and won 6-0 vs Norfolk last night. Some of the AAA guys might actually do better than the major leaguers we have on the A-Braves team.
Question: Has Bobby tried putting Infante in CF yet? I wonder if he’d be any good in that position. Infante also has speed, doesn’t he? Why not a batting order similar to this?
1. Infante – CF
2. Prado – 2B
3. Jones – 3B (when he’s playing or well…)
4. McCann – C
5. Heyward – RF
6. Escobar – SS
7. Freeman – 1B….ok, ok I’m dreaming. Glaus – 1B
8. Diaz – RF
9. Pitcher
Of course, there would need to be a callup from the Minors to replace Infante in the infield as a backup, and some ineffective poor soul would need to go down to the Minors. If this roster has been tried already, though, forget I asked. LOL.
ET
April 30th, 2010
12:58 pm
I think the current Braves roster shows us that the way to build a team is to hang onto your minor league stars instead of trading them for something to use at the major league level now. The players we traded to Texas alone would have been a godsend to this team right now. We gave away a fantastic pitcher, short stop, catcher etc. Adam Wainwright sure would look good on our mound instead of St. Louis’ mound.
Draft the best players available and keep them. Spend you money on scouting, not on free agents all the time and you just might stay near the top. Free agents have their place in the equation. If there is a glaring void at a certain position, then fill it with a free agent. Just don’t try to build the whole team that way. Don’t trade all of your top prospects to get a ordinary player or to rent a star for a year (Texeria, J.D. Drew, etc.). You will rue the day when one of them comes back to beat you (ie. Adam Wainwright).
We build the 1991-95 teams from our system with just a few top free agents at just the right time. It’s time to go back to that formula unless we want to double what we are currently spending for our roster.
Shane
April 30th, 2010
1:04 pm
The players we traded to Texas alone would have been a godsend to this team right now.
Most of those guys werent very good. Salty especially stinks. He isnt even starting.
Church of the Latter Day Dude
April 30th, 2010
1:09 pm
Whew, you guys better watch out! I’m throwing rocks tonight!
Mark it Dude.
gayle
April 30th, 2010
1:10 pm
Kashi – the obvious answer for your predicament is to send the entire Braves team to AAA Gwinnett – perhaps there they can find more suitable and equitable competition? Do you think if this team makes the playoffs, the competition will be against really hard teams too?
With fans like you, no wonder this team can still put people in the seats. I’ll bet you even have a tomahawk!
jayvee
April 30th, 2010
1:11 pm
You cannot win consistently without threats in the lineup. I cannot fault the Braves for letting Kelly Johnson go. Prado is a stud and a gamer. It’s sickening to see KJ leading the league in homers, but the D-Backs park is beyond hitter-friendly. He’d probably have three or four homers hitting the same balls in Turner Field (admittedly, that would be a feat on this team).
The laspe I cannot understand is letting LaRoche go. He’s making $4.5 mil, and would have signed with the Braves for less than that. Dude has a fabulous glove and carried this team in the last two months last year. I got the impression he was well-liked by his teammates. I know I liked him, odd duck that he is. In my view, he earned some respect and a re-up.
But Wren goes outside the box and tries to go cheap (and experimental) at first base yet again. You’re not going to win with an anemic first-baseman, and with the exception of the Texiera rental, the Braves have not had a legit 1-bagger since Galarraga.
This talk of getting Adrian Gonzalez is not just blue sky, it’s deep space. What makes anyone think the Braves would pull that trigger, and what makes anyone think the Pads don’t have 15 teams interested in Gonzo?
I would think seriously about cutting Glaus and bringing Freeman up. Really….what do we have to lose? It’s not like you’ve got to PAY HIM, and that seems to be THE key criteria for this bunch.
The Old Goat
April 30th, 2010
1:13 pm
I have been a Brave fan since 1949 and feel sure this is the worst hitting team they ever had. This is partially due to the players aquired by Wren, but some blame has to lie elsewhere as players who leave seem to learn to hit again.
Bill
April 30th, 2010
1:18 pm
Mark the third paragraph in this piece is the telling one.Get used to this kind of performance until the Braves get a new ownership group that cares about winning.
Crack Head
April 30th, 2010
1:24 pm
OOOHHHHH YEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!
DEM BALLS BE ALL UP IN THE SUGAR WAVE!!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
GeorgiaNativeInDC
April 30th, 2010
1:25 pm
I have been saying this for a while. Wren lives in lala land. The free agent signings he
made in the offseason made this team worse. Glaus and Cabera are worse than
Laroche and Johnson (see ariz). Not to mention he traded our best pitcher. Granted
the signing of Billy Wagner was an upgrade but that is it. This team has no superstars
like it had in the 90’s. We have an elder chipper, McCann and Heyward, but outside of that
we are pedestrian at best. I couldn’t help but laugh when Wren said this team can win 90 games.
he’s not living in reality. I think we need to dump all the old veterans, trade chipper to a contender
so he can win another ring before he bows out and get rid of Wren when Bobby leaves….We need to start over, ala the TAMPA bay Rays
Nativebird
April 30th, 2010
1:25 pm
Wren has been atrocious, but, you hit the nail on the head…this ownership is carrying what all small market killing teams will never overcome, yet will never admit; a flat out CAP on the payroll that simply will not let this team acquire any talent. the ONLY hope is to take 4 to 5 years to grow the farm and win something, then dump them all when the talent is 3+ MLB years, and start over. ala the Florida Marlins strategy…win the World Series, then fire sale. (twice!).
ronaldh
April 30th, 2010
1:27 pm
Mark, thanks for finally writing what should have been written earlier.
“This, sad to say, isn’t a very good team. It has some pitchers but too few hitters. As constituted, these Braves aren’t going to win anything.”
You are right, this isn’t a very good team and it isn’t going to win anything. I suggest another topic for your consideration. “Why was Chipper Jones given the contract extension he received two years back?” (It was two years ago, wasn’t it?) Did I read on this website earlier this week that unless Lowe or Jones retire the Braves will owe the two of them a combined $30 million in 2012? We both know that this makes no business sense. Jones is way over the hill. Lowe is not worth what he is being paid. I suggest you write an article questioning why an aged and over-the-hill Chipper Jones was given that type of extension. A part of your reasoning could include the fact that Chipper had been missing a number of games the past few seasons before he got the extension. I think you would be on good grounds questioning why an injury prone player was given a four extension for that amount of money. I think you could also make a very good case for questioning the Lowe thing. In other words, Mark, I’m just suggesting that it would be a timely thing for you to write an article question the competence of Frank Wren. You might also want to raise the suggestion that it’s time for him to go. A lot of fans post things on this blog. Some of them make sense. Some of them are nothing but rants. I believe that most of us would agree with what I’m saying. Again, thanks for writing the plain truth about this not being a good team.
chop
April 30th, 2010
1:28 pm
“Mark, thanks for finally writing what should have been written earlier.”
Huh? Pretty much this exact same column has been written for the past three days by about three different writers.
GeorgiaNativeInDC
April 30th, 2010
1:29 pm
Wren is prob a nice guy, but he is a bust as GM. What has he ever done? Was he not run out of baltimore after underachieiving?
P. Bull Terrier
April 30th, 2010
1:30 pm
Worst to First!
It could happen.
Couldn’t it?
OK. It’s probably no more realistic than thinking I’m going to win the multi-million dollar lottery, but I bought a lottery ticket this week.
JF McNamara
April 30th, 2010
1:33 pm
This team is not that bad. For the first time ever, I’m getting on the its Bobby Cox bandwagon. They are the least aggressive team in baseball, and Bobby Cox is just sitting back getting out managed.
Since Cabrera has proven to be garbage, they may as well bring up Blanco, bat him leadoff, and green light him to run whenever he can. Greenlight McClouth too should he ever get on base. Call some hit and runs. Get as aggressive as possible to win games.
Batting Blanco/Diaz, Prado, Heyward, McCann, Chipper, Escobar, McClouth, Glaus’ rotting corpse, Pitcher and being extremely aggressive on the base paths might help.
Glaus hasn’t done anything since 2008. Bench him and put in Hinske or Infante. What’s the worse that can happen? You lose more.
TheNCBravesFan!
April 30th, 2010
1:33 pm
Help! The Braves have fallen and they can’t get up! Will SOMEONE please call for help? Please?
Knuckle Sandwich
April 30th, 2010
1:34 pm
This team is not one Adrian Gonzoles away from contending. There does not seem to be a quick fix this year.
Peter
April 30th, 2010
1:34 pm
Mark is there a gopher prize for the basement dwellers ?
Embarrassing is the word……..Grown men paid millions to play a child’s game, behave in a professional manner on the field, and it looks like they have not prepared themselves at all.
I guess then all starts at the top….. Organization, Management, then coaches……The whole thing sticks of failure, and poor habits.
Why does a guy like TP who has never been a great hitter, become a hitting coach ?
Why does a guy apparently way over the hill, stay on as manager.
Seems they are kissing two guys butts, and showing respect for a job not being done very well.
I would let Bobby and TP go today…….thank them, and then move on as that is going to be the case anyway………
The organization will loose Millions this year as we see an EMPTY STADIUM……and they are so hard to watch even on TV.
The fan base is disgusted with the play, attitude, and the lack of professionalism shown in the total picture…….
I guess Bobby will be scratching his head yet again, hopefully he won’t beat his wife this year.
david
April 30th, 2010
1:35 pm
Booby Cox will be named GM at the end of the season!
PMC
April 30th, 2010
1:35 pm
Tommy Gunz is going to night. Braves win and Hawks win. Both because of Tommy Hanson.
Robert Nephew
April 30th, 2010
1:38 pm
Practically our whole team is suffering from acute gregnortonitis.
Peter
April 30th, 2010
1:38 pm
I think Kashi is correct……..We just need to play worse teams then the Braves…….
Are there any out there ?
P. Bull Terrier
April 30th, 2010
1:38 pm
Just think, we gave up an extra season of Jason Heyward under contract so he could be part of this mess.
Either the Braves really believed they had contending team and Heyward would put them over the top, or they knew they had nothing but a truckload of garbage and brought Heyward up to distract the dumb masses so we would buy some tickets before we realized how bad the Braves were going to be.
I don’t know which case I’d prefer to be true.
Lcharles
April 30th, 2010
1:39 pm
How the hell can you feel bad for Frank Wren? He gave a washed up Derek Lowe 60 million. He gave an unproven Kawakami 29 Million. He traded Gorkys Hernandez for a guy in McLouth who had only hit over .250 for one season in his career.
The Vazquez trade can’t be judged fully until Vizcaino is ready, however, getting a useless of like Melky is just awful and inexcusable. His only good move thus far was getting jurrjens, and even that is looking less and less stellar. I do not feel bad for him at all and his attitude is really starting to anger me.
Tracey
April 30th, 2010
1:40 pm
Fact is that ever since Pendleton has been our hitting coach the braves have not hit. The two that did hit were Chipper and McCann. Both of which had hitting coaches as dads. Francoeur went to Texas hitting coach for help and he did help for a minute but then back with Terry and flop. Johnson stopped hitting, Francoeur our next face of the braves is storming it up with the Mets. How stupid does one have to be to see where the problem is. Our hitting coach is hurting the new kids that can hit and the GM wants to invest in fosels to fill the gaps. Man this is sick.
So I say, FIRE Pendleton and bring up the AA hitting coach, hes quite good, release Glaus and bring up Freeman, release McClouth and bring up Schafer, hes doing well again and keep Diaz in the game every day. He will start hitting again. Tell Chipper its time to put up or shut up and retire. We do have a 3rd baseman in AAA who is hitting above the mendoza line so lets use him. I would rather see the rookies learn then the vets stink it up and kill the team. I mean come on, at least using rookies we have the right to lose some but I bet they would not lose them all. And leave HAYWARD ALONE for God sakes. Hes not tainted yet but he will be if Pendleton gets ahold of him.
Will
April 30th, 2010
1:41 pm
Pretty much summed it all up in this article. If we arent going to get the payroll, then we will never get the players. What we have is a bunch of mediocre hitters trying to bring us to a world series, which is a long shot for any team to shoot for. There is potential for the braves this year, and it is still early. But, doesnt seem as if it will ever happen. Also MB, why single out Kawakami. Lowe is absolutely horrific on the mound with no confidence but for a couple of innings. Jair looks as if hes got the same problem as Lowe. Not only that, I guarantee you that if Kawakami were to pitch elsewhere, he would have the run support that Lowe had last year with his crappy ERA. Oh and screw you LIBERTY, thanks for nothing. All you care about is the minimal profits your gaining right now. Keep heading in that direction Liberty and you will be out of here, God I only hope.
GT Fan
April 30th, 2010
1:43 pm
To borrow from coach hewitt? Hewitt’s a joke and should be fired.
Internal (digestive?) Problems
April 30th, 2010
1:43 pm
The symptoms of the Braves win-loss infection are readily apparent: anemic hitting, crooked inning pitching and lack luster mental readiness. The examples of these symptoms have been well documented: Good job DOB and JS, et al.
I would like to offer this man’s explanation into the root cause of these symptoms. There is a disease in the Braves’ coaching/leadership department. I don’t believe it’s Bobby. He’s earned a pass on this one although the ultimate responsibility lies with him. The disease is fits squarely on the shoulders of veteran players and Terry Pendleton. I indict these two groups on the following bodies of evidence:
On the charge against TP:
*How many players have now left TP’s tutelage to be almost instantaneously more productive elsewhere? Quick answer: Kelley Johnson, Jeff Francoeur, Mark Kotsay, & (delayed) Andruw Jones. Note that before they left they all saw significant declines under TP.
*How many productive Braves hitters actually use TP as their hitting coach?
-Chipper reports to his dad.
-McCann reports to his daddy.
-Escobar gives credit to Edgar Renteria.
**Prado is the bright spot on TP’s resume.
*How many players on the current Braves roster have fallen short of expectations or regressed under TP?
-Jordan Shafer, Nate McClouth, where’s the can’t miss Scott Thorman? (Careful Heyward)
*The largest indictment, however, maybe the story of the beloved Frenchy:
-Francouer has said publically several times that TP advised him before his first full season to bulk up so he could hit more HRs. Scouts widely attribute this change in Frenchy’s build to a decline in his athleticism that eventually ushered him out of Atlanta in a trade for Ryan Church. Frenchy himself was seeking help from Coach Buck over at Parkview HS, Chipper, Rudy Jamarillio – - anybody but TP.
Conclusion: Even if it’s not all TPs fault – he’s lost the confidence of the players and thus his effectiveness – it’s time for a change – now.
On the charge against veteran leadership:
I bring an accusation against waning Brave Chipper and gone Brave John Smoltz.
(Don’t everybody crucify me at once. For the record Chipper is my favorite baseball player of all time.)
*It’s been rumored for almost a decade that Chipper slacks off in the physical conditioning department and is somewhat of a loner or silent ‘leader’ in the club house. Brian Jordan recently confirmed both charges on Fox Sports South. Chipper’s nagging injuries are evidence of his lack of conditioning and lack of conditioning is evidence of laziness which reflects in his fielding and the attitudes of younger Braves. Example: Escobar. While Chipper has always been TEAM first and the consummate professional he has not always been a WIN first guy – this team needs a WIN first guy.
On the culture that Smoltz lead and the culture that he left. Smoltz, however much you love him, is a ME first guy. And he’s got the right to be so arrogant – he had the nastiest slider in the game for a decade. I love Smoltz. But when it came to taking one for the team that wasn’t the plan. He was the Brett Favre of the Atlanta Braves. Maybe I’ll close, Maybe I’ll start – Build the team around my plans and my talents said Smoltz. This is bad for team chemistry and if he weren’t such a great guy he wouldn’t have lasted as long as he did with the Braves. I understand his time was waning and he wanted to ‘win now’ but his approach was detrimental to the team. Example the feuding between himself and Chipper over the last few years of his tenure.
I love Chipper and TP. But this team’s ship is sinking because it has been christened as a life preserver for the golden Braves for several years (I speak of Cox, Glavine, Smoltz, & Chipper). Even Frank Wren’s scouting reports seem to have been printed in 2000 – Lowe, Glaus & Partners.
Atlanta Braves baseball is not a tribute band. It’s a major league ballclub and there is nothing more this team needs right now than a Lou Pinella. A guy who says “I don’t care who you are or what you did yesterday or what your paycheck reads. If you don’t produce you’re on the bench.” I’m all for sentimentality but save it for the jersey retirement ceremonies. No club could win with 62% of it’s payroll dedicated to players age 35 and over (Jones, Lowe, Huddy, KK, Wagner – all 35 or turning 35 this season) and all on multi-year contracts with their best years behind them.
There are apparently two theories with how to sell tickets in Atlanta: put a winning ballclub on the field or put a sentimental underdog with no realistic chance. I’m sick of the sentimentality. There’s no crying in baseball, it’s time for some changes.
nique
April 30th, 2010
1:46 pm
Hope they don’t repeat Tex in a deal for A-Gonz. It was nice to have Tex while we did, but we gave up quite a bit for him (regardless of what Wren says) and we didn’t win while he was here. Would rather ride out this season than trade away good young talent for a rent-a-player. But TP does have to resign immediately. They develop all this talent in their farm system. Why not bring up a hitting instructor from there?
GSU Eagle 91
April 30th, 2010
1:49 pm
I had optimism at the beginning of the season…But now I am getting used to the cries of:
Braves Lose! Braves Lose!
Poorbrave
April 30th, 2010
1:51 pm
david, Cox will be named GM ? Only by his wife at pony & dogs farm at Lake Lanier. The Braves need new blood like when they brought in JS. The old is the past, time to look for the future: New Coaches, Mgr, and new outlook with basic A-B- C baseball. Damn that would be great.
J.o.h.n.n.y C.r.u.n.c.h
April 30th, 2010
1:51 pm
Again, all I heard from Spring Training was that the players were going to go “all out” to help Bobby go out a winner. Again, they must have meant “all out to SUCK A$$”.
Sure, hitting is a problem. However base running blunders (not by just Yunel) and Little League errors in the field are BIG TIME SIGNS of ineffective coaching. It’s like these guys just loafed through Spring Training while Bobby Cox spent his time talking to reporters about this being his last year AND how great and special Jason Heyward is going to be.
Even if we were hitting, we’d still SUCK because we cant run the bases nor field the ball. Also, no one is being held accountable, other than Yunel and Heyward (taking too many pitches, lol).
It apparent why rest of baseball loves baseball. They know that without superior talent, Bobby can be out managed.
Peter
April 30th, 2010
1:51 pm
Hey Mark everyday I read the Obituary’s, and keep thinking I will see “The Braves”……
Kashi is correct…….we need to play a team worse then the Braves……Is there one ?