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
dalcover45
May 1st, 2010
7:31 pm
All of you who are conceding the season after a month are all idiots! Especially MB, you should know better than to throw in the towel this early in the season. I don’t know if you wrote this article because you had nothing else better to write, but you will be eating your words come All-Star weekend and the Braves will be right there atop the standings. Boy, shame on you.
Odds & Ends: Adrian, Strasburg, Mets, Zito, Braves « Sports Fans Bloggers
May 1st, 2010
8:06 pm
[...] Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution doesn’t believe the Braves can compete with the lineup as constructed. [...]
don
May 1st, 2010
8:25 pm
Barnacle Bill Bavasi is obviously a homer. The Braves have no one remotely as good as Wainwright. Let the two you named do something. Potential doesn’t mean squat.
adam
May 1st, 2010
9:06 pm
72-90.
adam
May 1st, 2010
9:06 pm
chipper needs to be released.
chop33
May 1st, 2010
10:12 pm
“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? ”
Of course… but was that even an option? Unless you mean Wren should have convinced LM to up payroll.
Jason in Valdosta
May 1st, 2010
10:18 pm
this is hard to watch for a life-long Braves fan. I actually watched the entire Halliday game. THE ENTIRE GAME. I want so bad to believe in Bobby and TP if nothing more than for the joy they gave us back in the day. Throughout everything that has befallen the Hawks and Falcons, the Braves were the one constant to count on. Yeah they were probably going to get put out in the first round of the playoffs but after suffering through the NBA and NFL seasons the boys of summer were all you had left. And for the 162 games of the regular season they were a great escape for a sports city mired in mediocrity. You know how I knew this was worse than I thought??? I looked at the standings the other day and saw that we had the same record as the Kansas City Royals. Yup, THE ROYALS. Now with Bobby on his way out, its not out of the realm of possibility that TP and Chipper could be right behind him. Then what?? Yeah the Hawks are in the playoffs and the Falcons are improving, but once Bobby and TP are gone, we won’t have anything left from that Magical run in ‘95. You know what this feels like?? The day I found out wrestling was fake. I kinda knew it was coming but I loved it so much that I didn’t want to believe it could happen. But I’ll still watch. I’ll still cheer them on. I’ll still curse my tv every time we ground into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded. What can I say, I’m a fan, that’s what we do. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m gonna go watch Sid Bream round third base again.
Knockahoma
May 1st, 2010
11:41 pm
MB please stay negative on the Braves! It seems to have done wonders. They’re on a 2 game winning streak now!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By the way, go ahead and write something about how the Hawks are going to lay down in game 7 against the Bucks, and then go on about how they shouldn’t go after Johnson after the season, and that they should look to build around Horford and either Smith or Williams!!!
I love the way you think MB. The negative MOJO is going to help us in the long run!
the lone bravo
May 2nd, 2010
3:56 am
Wow… a slow start and this tard writes the rbaves off….I admit frustrationlevel has increased over the past week or so but I mean its a week a stretch of ten games….glaus is picking it up greatly…chip still blows but w.e….heyward is god…..pitching is good….martin prado is a beast….and notice the key the last two games when our leadoff hitter does what hes supposed to do….he sets the table for the rest of the line-up facing the worst team in baseball also helps the confidence but sometimes thats what you need…..go bravos and chipper d.l or pick it up we love you here but watching your horrible swing so far makes me think your ten years older than you are we know you still got it ….best of wishes
gabuldawg
May 2nd, 2010
3:58 am
Folks, April just ended. Quit saying the sky is falling. Some of you are so pessimistic. People go through slumps all the time. The Braves just did it all at one time. I’ve been a fan since the 70’s and while hitters may have gotten hot in other spots, they will cool down. 2 years ago, Chipper led the league in hitting. Terry Pendleton was the hitting coach then also. When teams slump, they start pressing. You see the same thing in football with quarterbacks, kickers, and in basketball when scorers can’t hit the broad side of a barn. In basketball, they tell them to shoot there way out of it. The Braves will be fine.
TA
May 2nd, 2010
4:40 am
In 1990 before the Braves won 14 titles in a row; I was the only Atlanta Braves fan in my state. After the good times, 14 in a row and 1995 series win, everyone on my block was a (Bonified) Braves fan. It appears the Bandwagonners are jumping ship! And soon, I will be the only Braves fan on the block again. But, you know my favorite Braves team had a lineup like: Washington,Ramerez,Hubbard,Murphy,Horner,Chambliss,Benedict. It was WTBS replay, Skip Carey comedy everynight, and watchin Ted Turner pull marketing schemes that still boggle the mind with cheer. Great things come to the “TRUE” fans that take the good and the bad in stride. Let’s have fun watchin and hold off on the (these Braves aren’t going to win anything)negativity! This season is far from over and I have a feeling Braves fans won’t have to wait long before the “Bandwaggoners” are climbing back on”. Go Braves!!!!
Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Adrian, Strasburg, Mets, Zito « Sports Fans Bloggers
May 2nd, 2010
7:26 am
[...] Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution doesn’t believe the Braves can compete with the lineup as constructed. [...]
Braves Fan
May 2nd, 2010
8:35 am
What a bunch of babies – I will stick with this team. They will get it turned around and do very very well. Mark – good thing you don’t actually have a say in how the Braves are run!
Don
May 2nd, 2010
8:51 am
Jason H. Please if you go into a slump, don’t get help from Terry P. Just follow your gut and instincts. This year has proven listening to TP or having him on your team is hazardous to your performance at the plate.
Eric
May 2nd, 2010
8:52 am
gadawg
yeah show me this season a slump by the phillies over 4 games. it won’t happen. even the mets won’t go past 5-6.
Random
May 2nd, 2010
10:30 am
You are a fool to pronounce such judgments after only 22 games of a 162-game season.
Fire Frank Wren
May 2nd, 2010
10:45 am
For four years and 24 games the Braves have been irrelavent. The Braves of 2010 are going nowhere and unless changes occur at the top the mediocrity will continue.
bartt
May 2nd, 2010
11:05 am
Finally, I writer that has said it out-loud. The last time the Braves were a dominate team a single person owned the team and was willing to spend money. Until the present corporation sells the ball-club the Braves will continue to be looked at as a business that all that matters is the bottom line. If you need proof, look no further than the Chicago Cubs and ask yourself how many World Series that club won while owned by the Tribune Company. Please Ted buy the Braves back.
Groundedfalcon
May 2nd, 2010
11:13 am
“We love dirty laundry”
All you nay – sayers,get a life! (Especially you, Bradley)
The Braves will be fine!
They”re a SECOND HALF TEAM! Always have been.__________________
Quit whining!
Todd - Dacula
May 2nd, 2010
11:38 am
If those of you on this blog think TP is the reason for the players not hitting, you have no clue about baseball and should blog on a cooking site, or somewhere else. In fact, no hitting coach can guarantee production. Simply put: talent is the issue, which is directly related to available cash to sign better players.
Why not put the blogging pressure on Team owership; but you will get no where here unless you blog in Denver, CO. Perhaps Mark Bradley whould go to work in Denver, for a while. Even there his articles will be even as stupid with blame.
gabuldawg
May 2nd, 2010
11:43 am
Eric,
Consider this. After a 9 game losing streak, the Braves are only 4 games under .500. Hardly a reason to claim the season is over and we should give up hope on the season. Come on folks… Some of you act like you have never watched a 162 game season before.
Fire Frank Wren
May 2nd, 2010
12:49 pm
The Braves are spending plenty of money, just not spending it wisely. $85 Million to $90 Million is a good budget if you hire the right people to make the decisions. Example: Tampa Bay, Oakland A’s, MN twins, and others. You cannot spend your way out of incompetence in any business.
NYC Braves Fan
May 2nd, 2010
12:53 pm
I think you all are being to pessimistic. The Braves do have a good team. McCann is the best catcher in the NL, Heyward is well, Heyward, and McClouth, Chipper, Melky, Yunel, and Glaus won’t hit under .200 for the whole season. I think these Braves could win the wildcard with a little bit of luck. We have the pitching staff to do it.
gcs
May 2nd, 2010
1:29 pm
All the more reason to not trade any prospects for someone who will just leave in a year or 2.
.
SavannahSeer
May 2nd, 2010
1:45 pm
Derek Lowe is, dollar for dollar, the absolute worst player in major league baseball. I’d sooner release him and pay him than have him pitch for the same ludicrous dollar. Mr. Wren, when you screw up, you really take the cake.
aaronmathewsspahn
May 2nd, 2010
4:38 pm
“the season is lost” Harry Reid, aka Mark Bradley
gnir
May 2nd, 2010
4:40 pm
mb go take a hike!!!!
go be a jounalist for the mets or phils!!!
the atl doesn’t need your opinion!!!
p.s. and paul hewitt agrees to show you the door!!!!!!!!!!!
Charlie
May 2nd, 2010
5:22 pm
agree with MR…Bobby Cox as manager after all these years of failure boggles my mind…Can’t figure why hasn’t BC left the organization 4-5 years ago…
you
May 2nd, 2010
5:46 pm
worst article ive ever read
Andy
May 2nd, 2010
6:00 pm
Mark
Your plan worked perfectly. Predict that the Braves won’t win and they reel off three straight wins. Good job. Now you need to write how the Hawks can’t possibly beat the Magic.
RT
May 2nd, 2010
6:21 pm
The braves want play better than 500 with this lineup, time to get younger.
daBraves860
May 2nd, 2010
6:33 pm
time to learn how to spell…
braves have a good team. obviously without results, you’re going to say they have bad players. there’s a good mix of youngsters and vets.
and i agree with you. worst article ever.
The Tomahawk
May 2nd, 2010
6:57 pm
mr. bradley, i should point out that kawakami’s been a better pitcher than vazquez this year, is making less money, and never would’ve gotten a pitcher of vizcaino’s caliber in a trade. i don’t really think sacrificing one year of vazquez was a bad thing. he wasn’t going to repeat last year’s success. but… i’m just as frustrated with the team as you are and have definitely grown tired of watching average baseball every year.
…but shame on you for giving up so early. you’re right that they look terrible at the plate right now, but you should never throw in the tomahawk after only 25 games. a lot can happen in 132 games and you can’t honestly believe that yunel and mclouth will continue to hit like this all year. im not really sold on glaus, but i’ll cut him some slack for another week or so since he probably needs some time to get back in the swing of things after basically not playing last year. as far as chipper goes, you cant count on him to even stay in the game, his defense isnt great, and often he’s playing hurt. he’s been a great player, but i don’t think i’ll be too upset if he hangs it up when bobby does.
for the short term, there are two things that i personally think would really help the team:
a) bat prado leadoff. he’s great at getting on base and doesn’t have a ton of power. i can’t think of a better person on the team right now that would profile better as a leadoff hitter. sure, he doesn’t have the fastest legs, but clearly the lead off spot has more to worry about. it’d be nice to have some consistency for once at the top of the order.
b) platoon hinkse and glaus. i think hinske has at the very least earned the right to a platoon at this point in time. glaus may turn it around, and then again he may not, but it’s pretty obvious that for now the team would benefit from hinske getting more at bats.
i honestly think the offense would have noticeably more success if those two changes were made. it’s not like they’ll all of a sudden drive in 8 runs a game, but it’d at least be a more effective lineup. what do you think?
Brian from SC
May 2nd, 2010
7:57 pm
There’s #3, Mark.
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May 2nd, 2010
10:24 pm
[...] Mark Bradley on the Braves Dour Outlook [...]
PMC
May 2nd, 2010
11:36 pm
What a fantastic weekend all around!
Reid in EAV
May 3rd, 2010
12:09 am
Ha, I think the team went on a three-game tear just to make our columnist core look like idiots. Which they’re not, I hasten to add, but a baseball season is long and grueling. We may have seen the worst of this team, but I remain convinced we haven’t seen the best.
Reid in EAV
May 3rd, 2010
12:09 am
Columnist corps, I should have said. Silly phonetics.
DK
May 3rd, 2010
12:29 am
Mark Bradley is nothing more than another retarded columnist who has no idea what he is talking about and is a disgrace to the city of atlanta. After reading all this sad comments it just reassures me that the city of atlanta has the worst fans in the world, it makes me so sick. its been a month of baseball and you all are already saying we are done which is extremely ignorant. Once the braves have a good may all these people will be saying the braves arent that bad even mr. mark bradley. Im sick and tired of hearing so called braves fans or any fan of an atlanta team rip their teams constantly day in and day out. Those people are not real atlanta fans and are a disgrace to the city every single one of you. Especially mark bradley
Coach (2011 or Bust)
May 3rd, 2010
3:10 am
DK, raving against Mark Bradley only reaffirms that he’s right.
That said, These Braves are very 50/50. As in they could finish anywhere from five games under .500 to five games over the hump, and it’s not that hard to figure out.
After just 25 games our Braves are:
Last in their own division in spite of sweeping the Astros.
Ranked 25th in HR’s among all 30 teams.
24th in batting average.
23rd in RBI.
23rd in runs scored.
24th in stolen bases.
28th in defensive fielding (JUST BRUTAL).
And the bright spot if it can be called that, 12th in team ERA and it should be much better except for the awful defensive effort.
Simply put, this team can pitch and that’s about it. But the lack of gloves, bats and base running will kill any good pitching staff.
P.S. when a rookie, no matter how talented, is leading your team’s offense…. it speaks volumes on the field.
Required Reading | Hard Knox Sports
May 3rd, 2010
7:39 am
[...] Braves need more bats if they want to win anything [AJC] [...]
GT BOYZ
May 3rd, 2010
8:16 am
Bradley,
I better not see any articles in the near future asking whether or not ‘Braves are for real’ or ‘how it’s possible we could win the east’ or something half as ridiculous as what you just wrote an 1/8 of the way through the season.
You’re the worst fair weather fan of all of’m. Dumb ass.
GT BOYZ
May 3rd, 2010
8:23 am
Bradley,
I can’t believe this paper pays you for this…
But then again, consider the paper… liberal piece of crap… (oh, that was directed at you and the paper.)
You are the worst. NO backbone, no clue what you’re talking about, and non-sense articles to rile up the herds (please folks, don’t buy into what Bradley is selling, while he may be correct in some statements, to call the season a wash an april 30th is absurd, especially for a team that just won 3 straight since.)
You are one of the many wrong things in this city Bradley. Scram
Don
May 3rd, 2010
8:56 am
As constructed – if their pitching came up to expectations – and IF they had GREAT MANAGER, the Brave could be competitive and win the Division or at least the Wild Card.
BUT first and foremost they have Bobby Cox as manager which nullifies any chance and means that you are correct – as constructed they are not going to win anything.
In addition, JJ’s arm problems may be more signigicant than advertised, and also, I am not convenced that our 5th starter can be effective.
Hank Jr.
May 3rd, 2010
9:09 am
Agreed GT BOYZ, agreed.
CousinEddie
May 3rd, 2010
10:01 am
I was telling Clark just yesterday that the Braves were going thru the worse first month scheduling in major league baseball history..The way this schedule was set up it is amazing the Braves are still in the picture..Wait till some of these other teams have to hit the road like the Braves have..Then things will even up..
Navigator
May 3rd, 2010
10:08 am
This is what you get with BCox, a bunch of old players that he feels comfortable with. My opinion is that Escobar is trying to play his way out of Atlanta, still fresh in his mind what happened last year. Inspiration by rah rah or fear is the job of the Manager, and it’s obvious that the Braves have neither. Don’t let a few wins against a bad team fool you, when they play the top teams they are the bad team.
Sid
May 3rd, 2010
10:23 am
All of you missed the best sports story from the weekend. It wasn’t the Hawks, it wasn’t the Braves, it wasn’t Nascar, the Dawgs or Tech. It was Rory McIlroy winning his first PGA event @ Quail Hollow by four strokes over Phil Mickelson and the rest of the field. He finished with a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th to set the course record at 10-under 62, beating the previous record by two strokes. At 20 years old he is the youngest winner on the tour since Tiger Woods. Many of us remember Tiger Woods birth on the PGA tour, well Rory Mcllroy just jumped out of the womb.
rico43
May 3rd, 2010
10:29 am
Columns like this make me miss Furman Bisher.
daBraves860
May 3rd, 2010
11:03 am
Navigator, we should of had the series against the giants, we beat the 1st place padres, we coulda beat halladay if he wasn’t saved by victorinos homer robbing catch… the mets. well i have no clue where we were… i agree with cousinEddie. we’ve had a crazy stretch of road games. and another 9 coming our way. just wait and see, this team can get on fire.
but we realyl need to sit chip more, dude needs his rest. Omar, Martin, Yunel, Troy make up our best infield IMHO