Why Bobby Cox can’t (and won’t) start Conrad in Game 4
Managerial mercy required. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Well, I’ve slept on it (though not well), and I’ve decided: Bobby Cox cannot start Brooks Conrad in Game 4 of the NLDS tonight. This has nothing to do with baseball strategy. It has everything to do with human kindness.
Brooks Conrad is a journeyman whose journey has led him into the wilderness, and he can see no way home. It’s incumbent on someone (meaning Cox) to come rescue him. It isn’t that Conrad has developed Steve Sax/Chuck Knoblauch Disease, where he can’t throw straight. Poor Brooks is so confused he can’t even think straight.
We saw it last night even at those times he wasn’t making an error. He looked to second base before throwing — accurately — to first base, and in the game’s strangest moment he called off Derrek Lee to run over and catch a pop that should have been the first baseman’s all along. It isn’t that Conrad isn’t trying. On the contrary, he’s trying so hard he can barely remember where to stand.
Credit Conrad for facing reporters after the worst postseason game any Brave has ever had. (Let’s recall that Lonnie Smith ducked out after stopping at second base in the Metrodome in 1991.) But now it’s up to Cox. He has to do the right thing: He has to bench Brooks.
If that means playing Troy Glaus at third base and letting San Francisco bunt three times an inning, so be it. (The Giants are starting Madison Bumgarner, who’s a lefthander, so having Glaus at third — as opposed to Eric Hinske — makes a bit of tactical sense.) Omar Infante can move back to second, and Conrad can go back to being a pinch-hitter.
The important thing is to get Conrad in the dugout. He’s doing no one any good at second base, himself least of all. (His evocative postgame words: “I wish I could dig a hole and sleep in it.”) And there’s no percentage in inflicting further indignity on the tough little guy whose big hits helped get the Braves beyond Game No. 162.
He’s doing his best, but at the moment his best isn’t very good. I’m not certain what Bobby Cox will decide, but if I’m anything of a Bobby reader after 25 years of study, I’d say he’d made up his mind last night. This would not be a punitive benching, a Charlie-Finley-trying-to-deactivate-Mike-Andrews-in-the-World-Series thing. This would be an act of mercy.
Update: The Braves have announced their lineup for tonight’s game. Glaus is starting at third base. Conrad isn’t starting.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
800 comments Add your comment
Yogi 2
October 11th, 2010
10:09 am
And another thing…..this is a team playing without Chipper, Prado, Medlin, Jurrigens, and NOW Wagner……
I Wonder which one of these you would be slamming?
Steve-o
October 11th, 2010
10:09 am
We all know Brooks is doing the best he can, but face it, fans in any city would boo in the same circumstances. Conrad’s errors were piling up so the fans vented. Also, as another person who was at the game commented, the Braves organization was tone deaf in its decision yesterday to show a highlight of Conrad’s grand slam. Not good timing!
Over for 2010
October 11th, 2010
10:10 am
We need to say goodby to Conrad, Gonzalez, Lee, Ankle, McLouth, and get some real talent in that lineup. We have pitching but we surely have no hitting. Let Freddy play 1st and get some real players who can hit and play defense. Chipper just simply needs to retire and we get a new 3rd baseman too.
Coach13
October 11th, 2010
10:10 am
Call it whatever you want Bradley, Conrad has no business out there. The kid can’t even get a bunt down right now. Get him out of there PLEASE!!!!
Ted M
October 11th, 2010
10:10 am
I like Lowe especially in the playoffs but the Giants are due. They will likely be hitting really good pitches from Lowe. We need runs. Remember at the beginning of the season when Lowe was the only pitcher getting run support. Come on Braves lets channel some of that early season Mojo.
Keith
October 11th, 2010
10:11 am
Mark,
I think even a better solution would be having Hinske @ 3rd or Diory @ 3rd.
wam
October 11th, 2010
10:11 am
Bobby’s best mangerial move was getting ejected in game two and letting the bench coach take over.
The Temporary Mascot formerly known as Russ
October 11th, 2010
10:11 am
Conrad may be my favorite Braves player. He is a temp like me. He won several games for the Braves with his bat and is a threat every time he comes to the plate (except bunting
). He stepped in at third when Prado went down and was clearly, clearly uncomfortable and struggling. As he continued to make error after error he was left to perish. In the ninth inning last night that’s exactly what he did. He perished. Bobby has ended more careers than the Clarke County Sheriff.
marc
October 11th, 2010
10:11 am
sorry for him??….you’re kidding me. There ain’t no room left in pro sports for sorrys….unless it’s to all the people who have supported this team for all the years they have underachieved..sorry me a**.
reckingball
October 11th, 2010
10:12 am
Mark Bradley…….”but if I’m anything of a Bobby Cox reader after 25 years of study, I’d say that he’d made up his mind last night.”
Mark can you really predict what Bobby Cox is going to do?
Have you figured women out too?
If you have, please enlighten some of us.
The Temporary Mascot formerly known as Russ
October 11th, 2010
10:12 am
Filtering a litle dog again, huh?
Peter
October 11th, 2010
10:13 am
WOW…..I have been calling out the errors late in the season, and we have made so many it has gotten silly……but this reminded me of the Kelly Johnson Error last year, and couldn’t have come at a worse time.
I feel terrible for Brooks…But pissed as a Brave fan…..Why didn’t Freeman call off Brooks in Right Field ?
I woke up thinking gee…. if Brooks hadn’t hit so many late inning homers would we even be in this series ?
That said, I agree, give Glaus a shot at third.
He may just carry us the rest of the way ?
Keith
October 11th, 2010
10:13 am
Yeah, the Braves organization was a MASSIVE FAIL by putting the conrad slam on the jumbotron in the top of the 9th….that was terrible. IT was like they were trying to force fans to cheer for him.
I could see in the bottom of the 9th, but we were still in a jam.
Bobby Colton
October 11th, 2010
10:14 am
Mr. Bradley,
Do we know who would be starting Game 5 for Atlanta if it gets to that? I am assuming Tommy Hanson?
Keith
October 11th, 2010
10:14 am
Re: Peter
That was Heyward in right field. I don’t know why he didn’t call him off, but he did just bang up against the right field wall…so maybe that was a variable.
CurlyHoward
October 11th, 2010
10:14 am
Its not conrads fault why the Braves lost. That appears to be the reason, BUT I SAY THE REASON FOR THE LOSS SHOULD BE PINNED ON BOBBY COX. Bobby OVERMANAGED and did way too much MICROMANAGING after there were two outs in the ninth inning. Kimbrell was already gunning batters out with his blazing fastball (99-105 miles per hour). All you had to do was stick with Kibrall and he would have gotten Huff out. Instead you go with the leftt-lefty combination by the book and that book should have been thrown out because our best left-handed relief pitcher was not avilable. But Cox tried to force the issue, go by the book and he brings in pitchers who are out of control and wild throwing balls in the dirt. Brian McCann had to block so many balls that were in the dirt that he too got injured. That games loss was all bobby coxes fault, ALTHOUGH BOBBY WILL NEVER ADMIT BLAME AND HE WILL NEVER ADMIT MISTAKES.Its unfortunate because it brought back SHADES OF ‘91 when Bobby went to CHARLIE LIEBRANDT after Charlie had been getting rocked in all of his relief appearance. Bobby was loyal to a fault and that move cost us the ‘91 world series along with a baserunning mistake by Lonnie Smith. Ive always said if the Braves have the horses to win the whole thing, Bobby because of his stubbornness sometimes and his inability to get out of his own way, Bobby will mess up a team that could have won a world championship. I just had to get that off my chest because although Bobby is a brilliant manager, he still makes some of the same mistakes he made 30 years ago.
UGABugKiller
October 11th, 2010
10:14 am
All for moot, no matter who starts at this point, as long as Bobby Cox is the man in the dugout mismanaging his pitching staff for what, his 15th postseason with the Braves?
Good to see that even with a five year absence from October, Cox is still able to screw up his bullpen at a historical rate.
Worst postseason manager in the HISTORY of baseball.
Most overrated manager in the HISTORY of baseball.
Bye, bye Bobby. I won’t miss you one bit. The sooner you’re gone, the sooner this talented Braves team has of actually winning something that COUNTS.
Mark Bradley
October 11th, 2010
10:16 am
Tommy Hanson would start Wednesday, Bobby.
Karl Childers
October 11th, 2010
10:16 am
Yogi 2 – Suck it you pompous ass. All the “dirt dog” had to do was put his chest in front of the ball, pick it up, and toss it to second since he had plenty of time with a catcher running. No doubt you made plenty of plays just like it during your illustrious college career, I know I did. Yes, some of us made it past high-school ball too, sparky.
SG10
October 11th, 2010
10:16 am
Mark,
I am saying it again today that Brooks’ run-after-everything style of play is at best suited for an outfielder and not an infielder who needs to be smart and have poise. I hope he is given chance to redeem himself as an outfielder next year. We can definitely use his bat…I don’t remember Conrad being defensively this bad for most of the year..it has to be a mental thing when he is losing it in front of the packed stadium with adrenaline kicking in…
Bravery
October 11th, 2010
10:16 am
First of all, Kimbrel should have never been pulled last night. Then, whatever happens, happens. They’ve said that Kimbrel is our potential closer of the future. So let him close the freakin game.
I agree with Mark. Brooks needs to sit just to give the guy a break. I feel so sorry for him AND we’re not where we are without him.
Put Glaus in at 3rd, Infante back to 2nd – my sincere hope is that it’s a 2-2 game in the 9th and Bobby sends Brooksy out to pinch-hit… he promptly hits a game-winning home run and turns this whole thing around.
the real Old Gold
October 11th, 2010
10:16 am
Prado’s injury was the biggest all season…
John
October 11th, 2010
10:16 am
Not being a Monday morning quarterback. The whole section was saying Infante to 2nd Glaus to third in the ninth. Clearly Conrad has the Steve Sax syndrome and the only cure was to sit him or literally go roll 50 balls to him between inning (maybe a hit of a hookah pipe as well).
Love Bobby just like the next fan but being a players coach is like being a liberal- you think you are doing what is best but you just most likely ruined the season and Conrad will be playing in Japan.
Hillbilly Deluxe
October 11th, 2010
10:16 am
how does the ball find the weak link all the time?
That’s baseball; it always does.
In Conrad’s defense, the playoffs is a bad time to be playing out of position.
Chucky
October 11th, 2010
10:17 am
Brooks should not start tonight, plain and simple, and if Kimbrel is now the closer you have to treat him like a closer and not make situational substitutions; BUT while we’re all busy crucifying Brooks and Bobby let’s take a long hard look at that goose egg that is J-Hey’s avg in this series. Brooks is not supposed to be a superstar, J-Hey is.
shawn
October 11th, 2010
10:17 am
Knonwing Bobby, Conrad will start tonight………
Katherine
October 11th, 2010
10:17 am
CurlyHoward…I was at the game last night and I agree with you…he should have left Kimbrel in…stupid move. But, after 3 errors that directly led to us losing the game its hard not to blame conrad. When that last one went between his legs the boos were deafening….. he just cannot start him….its not fair to the rest of the team. I do feel bad for the guy..but his place in history is set. It’s a shame.
Seemore Hiney
October 11th, 2010
10:17 am
I’m almost becoming a band wagon fan at this point. I don’t care to spend 3 hours of my life watching great Braves pitching go to waste due to terrible hitting (Pendleton’s fault) and terrible managing (Cox’s fault). I agree, I would have benched Conrad a while back. The blame for the loss is as follows: 33.3% Brooks Conrad, 33.3% Bobby Cox, 33.3% Hitting.
Ted M
October 11th, 2010
10:17 am
reckingball – Jay Glazer used that line yesterday. Did you steal it?
Keith
October 11th, 2010
10:17 am
75% – Conrad
20% – Our offense
4% – Cox overmanaging (not letting Kimbrel finish – they couldn’t touch him when he was ahead in the count)
1% – Ump was terribly inconsistent. Is it me or have the Umps favored the Giants this series (Game 1 call that led to the only run, Game 2 call on the runner @ first, Game 3 – balls and strikes on Braves’ hitters)
para brave
October 11th, 2010
10:17 am
Dam when did Bill Buckner start playing for us. Bobby should’ve pulled Brooks when he started having problems at 3rd. Brooks hasn’t hit well when he starts so having DH or Glaus wouldn’t hurt the offense. And boy do we miss Prado.
CurlyHoward
October 11th, 2010
10:17 am
Its not all Bobby and Conrads fault though. What about Derek Lee and Jeyson Heyward hitting a collective 0-7 last night and Heyward hitting .000 for the series. What a tremendous rookie of the year that is hitting a fat ZERO for the playoffs. Great work say hey kid!
Keith
October 11th, 2010
10:18 am
*That was my blame for Game 3 breakdown.
Go BRAVES!
Mark Bradley
October 11th, 2010
10:18 am
Glaus couldn’t have played third in the ninth, John. He was announced as the pinch-hitter for Rick Ankiel in the eighth. (Eric Hinske pinch-hit for the pinch-hitter when the Giants went to Sergio Romo.)
Eric C.
October 11th, 2010
10:18 am
What is Conrad’s position?
Tami
October 11th, 2010
10:19 am
But! Bobby should put Brooks in the game — at the very least, in a pinch-hitting role. Let Diory start so Brooks can clear his head. Brooks got on Facebook this morning and apologized to the fans. He’s sincerely remorseful, and is giving no excuses but that he botched that routine grounder. He’s beating himself up severely for that one. We must put ourselves in his shoes. Could we do any better? Yes, I know. We’re not getting paid the mega-money they are. But, he is human just like the rest of us. And, if our guys had done better with runners on base earlier in the game, would the guys need to be defending a 1-run lead in the 9th? The thing that got me irritated the most was that it took what….THREE pitchers and 3 or 4 hitters (I don’t remember, I was livid) to get ONE out!!!! THAT was not Brooks’ fault. So everyone needs to cool it just a tad on Brooks. It is a TEAM game. Please remember that.
Ted M
October 11th, 2010
10:19 am
Seemore Hiney – Last nights game was great even though it turned to crap. I’m glad I was there to witness it.
Eric C.
October 11th, 2010
10:19 am
Going back…would have been nice to try Hernandez at second in the 9th, when else would you use a .138 hitter than for defensive purposes?
Eric C.
October 11th, 2010
10:21 am
I dont’ blame Brooks…he shouldn’t have been out there.
reckingball
October 11th, 2010
10:21 am
I agree with MB, but Conrad should not have been starting at 2nd last night. Even with the bad knees, Glaus is a better 3rd baseman (that can also hit HRs), than Infante. And Infante is a better 2nd baseman than Conrad.
Katherine
October 11th, 2010
10:21 am
Well my comment didn’t show up….but I wouldnt put conrad in the game today. The boos last night were amazing…never seen that at turner field before….it was so sad riding marta home thats for sure.
AceRichards
October 11th, 2010
10:21 am
Kimbrell was such a jewel of a closer all year. In fact of all the closers we have, other than Wagner, Kimbrell is the guy who is always being talked about on ESPN by other sportscasters about just how awesome the guy is. Kimbrell was in complete command of that ballgame last night and would have delivered the win. Kimbrell would have struck Huff out had Bobby just stuck with him.
Tami
October 11th, 2010
10:21 am
First of all, Kimbrel should have never been pulled last night. Then, whatever happens, happens. They’ve said that Kimbrel is our potential closer of the future. So let him close the freakin game.
I agree with Mark. Brooks needs to sit just to give the guy a break. I feel so sorry for him AND we’re not where we are without him.
Put Glaus in at 3rd, Infante back to 2nd – my sincere hope is that it’s a 2-2 game in the 9th and Bobby sends Brooksy out to pinch-hit… he promptly hits a game-winning home run and turns this whole thing around.
Well said, Bravery. My thoughts exactly!!!
Steve-o
October 11th, 2010
10:21 am
Keith,
With all due respect, your percentages are a bit off. Bobby’s only bets 4% of the blame? He left Conrad in the game and took Kimbrel out too soon, too VERY big mistakes.
Larvell Blanks
October 11th, 2010
10:22 am
DP 9:57 – You need to take your comments elsewhere. Sane analysis doesn’t belong here.
Sid
October 11th, 2010
10:22 am
Brooks, don’t put it all on yourself, our season went down in flames about the time Chipper tore up his knee.
Phillistein
October 11th, 2010
10:22 am
Karl Childers
October 11th, 2010
10:07 am
If our all-star catcher had simply called for three more 95 mile-per-hour fastballs up in the strike zone, Buster never would have hit the ball anywhere. Instead he decided to speed up Buster’s bat by calling for Kimbrel to throw a slider. Buster wasn’t even close to hitting that heater so, naturally, we stopped throwing it to him. Someone should have been asking McCann WTF happened on the pitch call?
***************************************************************************************************
SOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooo, let me get this straight – you’re faulting McCann for his pitch selection – a selection which induced a grounder to second?
Did you really write that?
Ok then! (cue eye rolling)
Steve-o
October 11th, 2010
10:22 am
Geez, can’t type today that’s “gets” and “two”
Katherine
October 11th, 2010
10:23 am
Tami…but he made 3 errors that led to runs…not just one. How can you not blame the guy..I’m sure he is very sad…and I do feel bad for him..but the facts are the facts.
Braves73
October 11th, 2010
10:23 am
To all the idiots who post “you’ve never played baseball or a sport at any level so who are you to say anything”…are you not implicating yourself as well????
And by the way, this is A BLOG FORUM for “fans” and to posts their opinions (which is for ALL WHO CARE TO POSTS). Please come up with something more factual or based in sports knowledge than this crap.