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
thunderbull56
April 30th, 2010
9:54 pm
Man o man o man.It does my heart good to see I’m not the only one making the observations I have for the last decade.When the money dried up, it was all about what Bobby,Chipper,Smoltz, and co wanted.Think I’ll buy stock in Cure-Aid and Band Aid.
Lil' Barry Bailout
April 30th, 2010
10:41 pm
The Braves lack of offense was easily predictable before the season started. They had a lame-azz offense last year and didn’t do a thing to improve it over the summer. Duh.
captain midnight
April 30th, 2010
11:02 pm
After watching the Braves and Hawks no wonder I’m in love with “Jack Daniels.” Pour me a drink Mark.
Hank's Still #1
April 30th, 2010
11:21 pm
MB,
Way to ride the tide with that bleak analysis of the team. Kick ‘em while they’re down.
Wondering if I should find your preseason and earlier posts at the beginning of the year to see if your sentiment about the team was riding with their good preseason play and when they were 6-4 after taking 2 of 3 from San Diego (2nd best NL record) on the road followed by a win over Colorado at home.
If they reel off a five game winning streak will all be forgotten? Will you jump on the bandwagon?
john a
April 30th, 2010
11:37 pm
the braves had not had a hitting coach since don baylor left in 2000 to manage the cubs. TP was a great 3rd baseman, but as a hitting coach he didn’t help Andruw Jones (he went to Texas for help) or Jeff Francouer (now doing well with the Mets). With 5 starters hitting under .200, let’s get a hitting coach who can help the team. At the rate the Bravos are going now, last place is a lock. Good pitching can win games but you can’t win when you don’t score runs.
owl hunter
May 1st, 2010
12:04 am
IT’S APRIL!!!
rekingball
May 1st, 2010
12:57 am
oh yeah?
rekingball
May 1st, 2010
12:57 am
says who?
SHO-NUFF
May 1st, 2010
12:58 am
me say!
Kindaearlyaintit
May 1st, 2010
2:09 am
Well, the “we’re toast” crowd usually waits until May to throw in the towel, but they’re a little early this year. I think I’ll watch a few more games before I write off the season. I’m not quite ready to give up on Troy and Melky, and I’m pretty sure Chipper’s not done yet. By the way, contrary to what you might think, my glasses are not rose-colored. I’ve been watching the Braves since 1978 (and seen some really good teams and really bad ones!), and in my humble opinion, this one still has a chance. When we get to the break, I guess we’ll see whether or not I was full of **it. Who knows? Wouldn’t be the first time…
CharlieAlphaBravo
May 1st, 2010
6:10 am
If anyone here is ever stuck on a desert island with Mark Bradley, be sure to keep an eye on him. He’ll probably panic and try to gnaw off someone’s leg on the second day…
GT71
May 1st, 2010
7:15 am
HEY! That’s a rip-ff of my and several other posts over the last few days – “You tell me: Is that batting order ever apt to strike fear into the hearts of enemy hurlers?”
Finally, a writer who is paid to do it, writes truthfully. But then, Mark isn’t DOB.
Great to see Braves get a win, but the facts are the facts. This team is heading for 4th.
Brian
May 1st, 2010
7:40 am
Maybe you should just stop making predictions…you embarass yourself
get a life
May 1st, 2010
8:19 am
Okay, show of hands. How many people think these losers that fight to be “first” are in their 40s and still live in their mom’s basement?
Mutley
May 1st, 2010
9:24 am
Leadership starts at the top and everyone can keep blaming Wren, Cox, TP etc but Liberty Media is the cause of this trouble. They are absentee owners. If Arthur Blank were to buy this team I bet there would be some big changes.
Brian from SC
May 1st, 2010
9:59 am
There’s one, Mark.
Reid Adair
May 1st, 2010
10:05 am
You are exactly right, Mark. This roster is incapable of making significant accomplishments.
Melky Cabrera, Troy Glaus and Eric Hinske were supposed to improve the offense; once again, Frank Wren was wrong.
Wren got rid of Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano to bring in Takashi Saito and Billy Wagner. Saito hasn’t done much, and the 38-year-old Wagner announced yesterday that he will retire at the end of the year.
Things aren’t going to change with this situation, though, until ownership changes the general manager.
georgiavol
May 1st, 2010
10:10 am
I said two years ago that Pendleton was the worst hitting coach in baseball. He still is.
Dorothy Davis
May 1st, 2010
12:18 pm
I understand Chipper has a sore right hip, and I am wondering how he will treat it, as I also woke up with a sore hip this morning and will have to face my day with it; Of course I am 77 yrs. old, so his treatment and mine may be different, but I will still have to do my chores today, sore hip and all. I feel sorry for Chipper and his ageing body.
too funny
May 1st, 2010
12:24 pm
they need to institute affirmative action …hey the hawks don’t have any white guys, maybe a trade…where is terrence Moore ..well..less…when you need him
Bill
May 1st, 2010
12:29 pm
Mark whats your pick in Kentucky Derby? I’m going with Ice Box….what do you think?
Mitchell
May 1st, 2010
12:40 pm
As currently constituted, the Braves aren’t winning anything?
Hello? They won last night Mark Bradley. Wrong.
Got you on that one.
Blozzy
May 1st, 2010
12:48 pm
@MR – They have replaced a TON of coaches over the last few years: Gonzales, Corrales, Mazzone, Baylor, Yost, etc. TP seems to me to have a problem making the hitters listen to him. Remember how Andruw used to try to yank 5-run homers on every pitch in spite of TP’s best efforts. It’s tough to make a 25 year old millionaire listen to anyone,so I have a hard time blaming TP, but I think he should get a little more forceful.
Also, we are a sustained winning streak away from being right back in it. I predict we’ll see Freeman this year if he keeps producing at AAA, but they’ll wait to bring him up to avoid super-two status.
If JJ can get it together, we’ll be okay with our rotation, KK included. If not, we have Medlen, Minor, some other options. I think most of our hitting will level out. Diaz, McCann, McLouth, and Chipper will be better than they have been. Glaus seems to be following the Raul Mondesi script, but I predict we may see more of Hinske and Prado at 1st if Glaus keeps stinking. Infante can take over 2B if necessary. As for Escobar’s brain, he seems to be a slow starter mentally. He’s had his annual disciplinary benching, and now he should improve. Let’s at least see a little bit of May before we throw in the towel and sell everyone off. C’mon now! Where y’at hometown fans?!
Justin Bobko
May 1st, 2010
12:57 pm
I agree that the team’s offense will never be spectacular, but I think we should wait and see before making judgments after 15% completion of the season. So many or our hitters are underperforming, and statistics usually work themselves out to be relatively close to career averages (especially for hitters) from season to season. McClouth is a .257 career hitter who’s hitting .175, Glaus .254/.194, Escobar.297/.215, Diaz .306/.229, McCann .292/.234. I guess you could make up some individual reason why each player is so drastically underperforming his career numbers, but I would bet that before 162 games are done, these players climb dramatically to around those career figures, and it’s going to take some serious hot streaks (possibly at the same time) to do it. Glass half full, folks.
GovClintonTyree
May 1st, 2010
12:59 pm
Dorothy Davis: that’s beautiful.
I think I’d put it differently. Unless there’s a lot of improvement from our hitters, we ain’t gonna compete; obviously.
However, I don’t think Glaus, CJones, McLouth, Diaz, and Escobar are gonna hit a combined .170. I have higher hopes for upside than does MB, I suppose.
Justin Bobko
May 1st, 2010
1:06 pm
Also, I am sick and tired of the hate for escobar. Despite an occasional lack of concentration, the guy was our best player (well, possibly vazquez) last season. He plays superb defense, has the best arm of any shortstop in baseball, and if the last couple of years are any indication, his bat will come around too. There’s no way I’d like to see him dealt to San Diego over Freddie Freeman.
Kelly
May 1st, 2010
1:24 pm
”
Willy
April 30th, 2010
11:04 am
The Braves couldn’t hit oil if they fell out of a boat.”
Hell Willy, they couldn’t hit oil of they fell out of a boat in the Gulf of Mexico.
ozzie
May 1st, 2010
1:27 pm
Wren has mismanaged his payroll/FA cash while his trades have been 50/50 at best. That is no way to run a railroad and sooner or later he will be called on it.
Giving $40mm to spend (Dec 2008) to a new GM with a spotty career prior to ATL was a risky move and it didn’t pay off. JS picked a bad time to go hide and McGuirk was too much of an empty suit to demand they do a external search for a GM before giving the job to Franklin.
The idea that 43% of their payroll is going to Lowe, KK and Chipper is insane.
Every mgr and coach should thank their luck stars they are employed by ATL b/c in the major cities most would have been fired.
Imagine Frank in NYC – he would last 1/2 a season or be an assistance scout in the Peoria leagues.
Heck he was canned after one season in Baltimore.
Wren & Cox = biblical failure thus far.
2011 – will require a new staff and 40% new players to right this caboose.
js
May 1st, 2010
1:35 pm
Get rid of Glaus one more double play ball with the bases loaded.Sign a thumper like Padres Gonzo and hope Nate finally starts to hit on constant basis.
Kelvin
May 1st, 2010
1:35 pm
Mark, weren’t you just saying a couple of weeks ago that there was something special about this team? I believe that was right after the Braves 10th inining win on the McClouth HR. Now, a few weeks later according to you there is nothing special about this team. Perhaps you were jumping the gun then and are doing the same thing now.
ozzie
May 1st, 2010
1:35 pm
RE: KJ homers. On another site they did an analysis (distance and location) and every HR except one would have been a HR in any park in MLB.
That is great for KJ and really bad for TP and the Braves.
If KJ does this all season Wren looks like a hack and TP looks like someone who will be unemployed.
KJ is hitting
Kotchman is hitting
Frenchie is hitting & walking (though he dipped a bit after a very strong start)
LaRoche is not his typical 1H mess and is hitting w/power (apart from a week one-two slow start)
Change of scenery as an excuse is looking lame right about now. How is TP doing with the Braves?
ozzie
May 1st, 2010
1:43 pm
Oh and AJ is hitting and in better shape. TP gets a pass on AJ to a degree b/c AJ let himself go and went into collect paycheck mode.
After sulking in LA and TX he is now back on track and better than all our OF stat wise.
Wren cannot bet successfully or judge talent to save his life. He is lucky Vaz is wetting the bed b/c that is only recent deal that has gone his way – if you consider Melky’s terrible start to be better than Vaz’s ballooning ERA.
Did we mention that Church is hitting .278? Not stellar especially when you look at his OPS of .732 but how is he compared to Melky who makes twice as much?
ozzie
May 1st, 2010
1:44 pm
Note AJ is better than all except from Heyward in the OF.
dennis
May 1st, 2010
2:39 pm
Fire T.P. and hire Mario Mendoza of the Mendoza Line fame and some batting averages will go up 30 points. but seriously these guys need a day off from any kind of hitting so they can rest their heads.
True Blue
May 1st, 2010
2:40 pm
Typical Atlanta Fans. The Braves have not competed as expected, but it’s still early. Some of the comments including the “boycott” are exactly why you are surrounded by Cubs, Yankees, and Red Sox Fans when we go to their home games away from home at Turner Field. The Cubs haven’t been to a World Series in forever, but their fans remain loyal.
The solution is to go after Adrian Gonzalez. We desperately need a guy that can put the ball on the other side of the fence at least 40 times a year. Someone the opponent fears, that can protect Jason Heyward when he eventually moves to the three spot.
cs95
May 1st, 2010
2:41 pm
any idea on how to make the team better? or should the braves just forfeit the rest of the season?
Braver
May 1st, 2010
3:40 pm
The braves beat houston!!!! YES!!! They are back baby!!!! On to the world series!!!!
tree rollins
May 1st, 2010
3:53 pm
3 Braves Theories Exist – YOU PICK ONE
1) Frank Wren is the worst GM and evaluator of talent in baseball
2) Terry Pendleton is the worst batting instructor in baseball
3) It’s all just a big coincidence and the universe just continues to frown on Braves batters year after year.
I know what my theory is (#2 – if you picked anything else you’re cracked because these guys didn’t hit like this for the Braves other than LaRoche and Wren dumped him for Glaus). Here are the facts people:
Kelly Johnson Batting .313 9 HR
Adam LaRoche BA .296 4 HR
Ryan Church BA .278 0 HR
Jeff Francoeur BA .284 4 HR
Troy Glaus BA .194 2 HR
Chipper Jones BA .230 2 HR
Yunel Escobar BA .215 0 HR
Melky Cabrera BA .195 0 HR
tree rollins
May 1st, 2010
3:56 pm
Everybody have some fun and pick YOUR choice of the only 3 theories you can have about the Braves pathetic season (from above)!!
Fire Frank Wren
May 1st, 2010
4:03 pm
Franceour 3 HR, 12 RBI, .278
Andruw Jones 6 HR, 9 RBO. .260
Laroche 4 HR, 17 RBI, .299
Kelly Johnson 9 HR, 18 RBI, .313
tree rollins
May 1st, 2010
4:08 pm
Before anybody gets too excited be reminded of the fact that Bobby Cox is absurdly loyal to all his assistants. I don’t remember him EVER cutting one loose under any circumstances. He will support Terry Pendleton to the end of the earth even if the Braves don’t score another run all year long. He’ll just say it’s bad luck and they’re still hitting the ball hard – just right at people. People, this is where your hard earned money is being spent. Get the $1 tickets and wear the paper bag over your head so the media doesn’t point you out as a loyal never-say-die fan – you don’t want to look like a fool in public!
Terrenco Pendales
May 1st, 2010
4:14 pm
When I swam the Rio in 1997 they all told me in Atlanta that it was a great team here man. I wait..and wait..and still noting.. At least I can go back home. Most of you hombres are stuck with this for life….por vida !
Don
May 1st, 2010
4:29 pm
Kotsay with a homer today. Andruw Jones with 2. Francouer doing well. Kelly Johnson on fire. Not a coincidence. It’s all about bobby and terry. Now we know why this team has always had a crap offense and never won more titles. Time for them to retire.
Don
May 1st, 2010
4:30 pm
Let’s not leave out Kotchman and Laroche too
Fire Frank Wren
May 1st, 2010
4:35 pm
Chipper Jones = $14 Million
Francouer = $5 Million
Andruw = $500,000
Kelly Johnson = $2.3 Million
Laroche = $4.5 Million
Fire Frank Wren
May 1st, 2010
4:39 pm
Kotchman 3HR, 14 RBI, .264 $3.5 Million
Imagine who this idiot will hire to replace Bobby?
Real Brave
May 1st, 2010
5:20 pm
Terry Pendleton’s been hand picked by bobby cox to be the manager next year—get used to it—more mediocrity to come!
Fire Frank Wren
May 1st, 2010
6:16 pm
Chipper Jones .230 2 HR 6 RBI for $14Million Works out to 12 HR and 36 RBI for 150 Games. $1.2 Million per Homerun or $390,000 per RBI. What the heck is Brian Jordan apologizing for. He is dead on.
True Blue
May 1st, 2010
7:20 pm
I’m glad he is doing better, but let’s not act like Frenchy did not need to go. Heyward any day and twice on Sunday.
True Blue
May 1st, 2010
7:20 pm
Kelly Johnson will fizzle out, give it time.