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.
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800 comments Add your comment
Delusional Dawg
October 11th, 2010
12:08 pm
This guy would only start for the Braves. No other playoff team would let him play the field after he has repeatedly shown he can’t catch and throw.
Updated Blog Title:
October 11th, 2010
12:09 pm
Here’s why Mark Bradley isn’t on ESPN’s Around The Horn.
Daniel
October 11th, 2010
12:11 pm
I usually let a Braves loss roll off me and I’m good to go the next morning.
Right now, I’m still so cheesed off about last night.
Ted M
October 11th, 2010
12:11 pm
Who is covering tonight’s game you or Jeff?
B.C.
October 11th, 2010
12:12 pm
Bobby will start me because I am related to Norton.
GaCracker
October 11th, 2010
12:13 pm
Cox should not have ever started him in this series or at lest dumped him after game one. I won’t miss “day late and a dollar short’ Booby!!!!! Enjoy your retirement from managing. We’ve been waiting a long time. Oh why did we ever fire Joe Torre way back when?
chillahill43
October 11th, 2010
12:14 pm
yea Ive been here since 1961 and saw them fold to the MAzing mets. What Im saying is – If you would have told me make in April WTFever that dont mean a thing. This is the here and now. They made it here Now stop acting like you dont belong.. Your saying I should just be happy they made it. Well yea Im happy they made it… Well I should just be happy they are 1-2 in post season, Yea I am Happy But I aint happy how its gone down… So the old addage that if you would told me in April YADA YADA YADA dont hold water.. Your a playoff team- Act Like it PERIOD. and oh yea.. GO BRAVES…
mike
October 11th, 2010
12:15 pm
It is horrible to see Conrad struggle. But, I want his bat. Start him.
R.O.Y.
October 11th, 2010
12:17 pm
The guy is his own worst enemy right now, but why is nobody talking about how Jeyward has disappeared? Someone asked what he hurt when he hit the wall. The answer is “His Ego”. He barely jogged on that fly that Conrad dropped. That was his ball but he was afraid to take charge. He is lost at the plate. He is afraid to embrace this opportunity. The polar opposite is Posey. Having a great series, calling for fly balls and even though he has less big league experience than Jeyward, he is playing like a veteran. Maybe Jeyward has bought into all the hype that he was rookie of the year after one game and a lock for the Hall of Fame.
worn out
October 11th, 2010
12:18 pm
It really doesn’t matter, if you can’t hit the ball, how far do you think the braves can go.
they have gutted it out as far as could and say what u will, Bobby Cox has done a great
job all his career, its about wins and losses for managers and his wins speak for them selves.
go braves.. and Conrad hold ure head up u have nothing to be ashamed of.
Yuck
October 11th, 2010
12:18 pm
There is no way Cox can start Conrad…hope fans don’t boo him if he does play.
MSS
October 11th, 2010
12:19 pm
EagleNationRising, we get the point. You hate Brooks Conrad.
There is enough negativity headed this kid’s way without you gratuitously slamming him here even further. You should stop. Have some humanity.
I am pulling for Brooks 100% to redeem himself and the Braves. This series is not over and we may need Brooks’ help.
Bobby Cox, Mark Richt, Paul Hewitt's Agent
October 11th, 2010
12:19 pm
Cox always says the playoffs are a crapshoot. The Braves are crap, shoot!
Brave Hokie
October 11th, 2010
12:19 pm
Why not start Con-nad, & get the save the jet fuel going back to Frisco…???
Who people should REALLY be booing: Heyward… at least Con-nad an excuss that he has little athletic ability.
Heyward is a little catered traveling baseball brat, and is completely wilting in the bright lights of postseason baseball…
Bobby Cox, Mark Richt, Paul Hewitt's Agent
October 11th, 2010
12:20 pm
BC = Bobby Cox, Brooks Conrad, Blown Championships
bwash21
October 11th, 2010
12:21 pm
I’m ready to go early again and tailgate. We don’t get the playoffs here like we used to and I’m ready to soak it all in again.
Last night was heartbreaking. I feel horrible for Conrad and I wish we were talking about how ridiculous loud it was on Hinske’s HR instead of errors that cost us the game. It’ll be interesting to see what Cox does. If Conrad comes up to pinch hit he’ll get a huge round of applause I think but if he’s introduced in the starting lineup he’ll a resounding courus of boos and he’ll be under so much scrutiny and pressure, I can’t imagine. It’d be one thing if it was just one bad game but he’s had 8 errors in his last 6 or something like that. Gotta go with Glaus and we need some firepower in our lineup anyway.
Last night is over. It’s a new day and we have our hottest pitcher on the mound. We can get the momentum right back after a win tonight. I believe.
Margaret
October 11th, 2010
12:21 pm
Start him, and then maybe Georgia will fire Richt. Georgia, you can’t rehabilitate someone who’s a loser by nature. Fire Richt!
bwash21
October 11th, 2010
12:22 pm
I’m ready to go early again and tailgate. We don’t get the playoffs here like we used to and I’m ready to soak it all in again.
Last night was heartbreaking. I feel horrible for Conrad and I wish we were talking about how ridiculous loud it was on Hinske’s HR instead of errors that cost us the game. It’ll be interesting to see what Cox does. If Conrad comes up to pinch hit he’ll get a huge round of applause I think but if he’s introduced in the starting lineup he’ll a resounding courus of boos and he’ll be under so much scrutiny and pressure, I can’t imagine. It’d be one thing if it was just one bad game but he’s had 8 errors in his last 6 or something like that. Gotta go with Glaus and we need some firepower in our lineup anyway.
Yuck
October 11th, 2010
12:22 pm
No one should boo any of the Braves. They are doing the best they can. Unfortunately, that may not be good enough.
Margaret
October 11th, 2010
12:22 pm
FIRE RICHT. WE (THE BULLDOG NATION) DESERVES BETTER.
Bobby Cox, Mark Richt, Paul Hewitt's Agent
October 11th, 2010
12:23 pm
@ Scott B – “Keep your chin up Brooks!” You need to tell him to keep his arse down on grounders.
Dr. Warren
October 11th, 2010
12:23 pm
You know when you see an average-looking guy trying to date a super-beautiful girl, and they say she’s “out of his league”? Well…
Bravos !!!
October 11th, 2010
12:24 pm
Heyward should have called him off and caught it….but yes, Conrad should not start tonight….he can pitch hit….lets remember, Conrad made clutch hits for this team and they would not have made the playoffs without his contribution…but I definitely feel for him as he does look lost out there…and over the many playoff runs, there were miscues that cost the Braves a couple more World Championships. But perhaps this team has a little destiny in its wings….and that they’ll play beyond tonight. Go BRAVES !!!!!! Go Conrad.
Updated Blog Title:
October 11th, 2010
12:24 pm
Brooks Conrad’s errors signal official start of Atlanta hockey season
Luv 2 Hate Me
October 11th, 2010
12:25 pm
Well at this point Conrad isn’t doing much defensively or at the plate. It’s time to sit him down and Bobby next time please leave Kimbrel in the game to finish the 9th. Stop going by stats and follow your instinct.
chillahill43
October 11th, 2010
12:26 pm
dr warren are you saying Brooks couldnt date A super model? LOL
chillahill43
October 11th, 2010
12:26 pm
of course he couldnt, hell he couldnt catch her!
lefty fielder
October 11th, 2010
12:26 pm
If you’re gonna hammer on Conrad, you should also include Heyward, McCann and the rest of the anemic offense.
GT Alum
October 11th, 2010
12:28 pm
mike -
What bat? He has a single and 4 Ks in 10 ABs. Not much of a bat there. I can’t find the split, but the guy hits next to nothing before the 7th inning. He’s best used as a pinch hitter in key situations.
Old Fashioned
October 11th, 2010
12:29 pm
Terry Pendleton! Has everyone forgotten that the hitting coach should have some responsibility for the complete lack of hitting? For the continued wholesale swinging at pitches out of the strike zone?
MSS
October 11th, 2010
12:30 pm
Amen, lefty. It is a TEAM game. If Heyward wasn’t 0 for 12 or whatever it is, perhaps Conrad’s errors wouldn’t an so much.
WHAT?
October 11th, 2010
12:32 pm
OMG, you have to ask? Anyone with half a braid would not have let it go 3 games!! But then, Cox is famous for waiting until the score is 12 to 2 before pulling the failing picture. Braves, make it easy, don’t show up tonight!!!
Spud Webb
October 11th, 2010
12:33 pm
I love Brooks. But why wasn’t Glaus out at 3rd anyway? Moving infante to 2nd…not sure what that hasn’t been done to begin with??? Puzzling for sure.
Stay strong Braves, grind it out and win tonight. One game at a time.
Bobby, get your head out of your &ss and lets go.
chillahill43
October 11th, 2010
12:33 pm
if his bats so good, he needs to take it to second with him cause his glove is useless… and to the ROY RU the bat is for hitting and swinging not throwing on the ground and laying on your shoulder. Yea the balls outside .. the umpires or conspiring against you cause you made one of them look bad this summer… Its gonna be that way.. Swing at strikes and stop swinging at balls,,,…. Seems easy enuff….. Especially with a beer in my hand in row 318 seat 2 HEEEHEHHEHEHEH hit the balll and the defense goes away… We need a 10 run game tonight …. GO BRAVES!
Thank God Bobby Is Gone
October 11th, 2010
12:33 pm
Conrad even being in there in the 9th is reason enough to be happy that Bobby wont be able to screw things up next year. Way to bring in Dunn too. Brooks should be mad a Bobby for bringing in a pitcher that allowed the ball to be hit in the first place.
Al Gore
October 11th, 2010
12:34 pm
I want ya’ll to know, I have the same batting average as Jason Heyward in this Braves divisional series {.000}.
Farnsworth Fastball
October 11th, 2010
12:35 pm
Glaus @ 3rd? I’d rather put Diory at 2nd and keep Infante @ 3rd then to ALL OF A SUDDEN think Glaus can do any better defensively than Brooks.
I would have never taken Kimbrel out of the game, Coxsy. The matchup of Dunn v Huff was not advantageous. Huff hits lefties better than righties and he is now batting .667 v Dunn in THIS series!
Plenty of blame to go around but all that matters NOW is winning tonight!
I thought it was funny last night when after the disasterous top 9, the TBS team said, “the Braves have one last chance BUT they have the heart of their order coming to bat!” It made me laugh at an otherwise depressing situation!
Joe Cox
October 11th, 2010
12:35 pm
start him. why? because f*ck you thats why. this rag-tag bunch of has-beens and bench players only made the postseason because they banded together and worked their assess off. Conrad helped get us here. He deserves a chance to make up for his mistakes.
Scott
October 11th, 2010
12:38 pm
Brooks should have never been in there yesterday. Glaus should have been at third. If he struggles then replace him with Diory, but until then let him play. Chino, put him in there Friday night and he paid dividends. Come on Bobby!
Infante
Ankiel
Diaz
McCann
Lee
Heyward
Glaus
Gonzalez
Richard Jewell
October 11th, 2010
12:38 pm
Based on my experience I’m sure the media and public will give Conrad a fair shake…
WreckingBall
October 11th, 2010
12:39 pm
Bobby has one more chance to make things right and get the Braves past the Giants and into the NCLS with Philadelphia. Give Jeysen Hewyard a rest and Clutch Conrad, SITTING BOTH OF THEM DOWN. However, bring Conrad and Jeysen in late in the game to pinch hit ONLY. Conrad might be wounded mentally, but he swings a mighty stick at the plate and may deposit a ball into the blue seats. Jeysen is mired in an aweful slump right now and better to sit Jeysen and WIN the series or keep him in the starting lineup and lose the series. Bobby, the choice is yours and I’m sure you will make the wrong choice. It was clear to me yesterday that Jeyson was hurt when he crashed head first into the wall in right-center field. Jeyson was literally knocked into next week by that collision with the wall, but somehow shook it off and decided to stay in. When Conrad made an error out in the field when he dropped a ball out by second base, Jeyson would have made that play if jeyson hadnt been injured. Its unfortunate and I’m mad because the Braves should now be leading 2 games to 1, with a chance to close it out tonight. Thats what should have happend. But Bobby Cox had his plans to be “Mr. DecidionMaker” when he should have stayed put in the dugout and let the game unfold naturally instead of making a fool of himself, by bringing in Charlie Liebrant to give up the ball game. It almost reminds you of ‘91 when he did exactly the same thing and lost that series for us as well. Of course Lonnie Smith made a baserunning error because he couldnt tell that a ball was trapped in the outfield and should have scored the winning run in regulation giving us a 1-0 win instead of game 7 being tied 0-0 after nine innings. BOBBY COX and LONNIE SMITH cost us that first world series in the worst to first year of 1991. I DONT CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS, THATS THE TRUTH BECAUSE I SAW IT MYSELF.
Thank God Bobby Is Gone
October 11th, 2010
12:39 pm
Joe – Conrad has had 6 games to make-up for the error he had 7 games ago. His reponse, make 7 errors to follow that up. i am pretty sure i could muster what he has produced in the NLDS. Ohh – i have one leg
Warren Spahn
October 11th, 2010
12:39 pm
Good managers always make defensive changes late in close games. I don’t blame Conrad for the loss. I blame Bob. Conrad should have been in the dugout for the ninth inning- if not before.
Bob is much like modern educators who don’t want anything to harm the self- esteem of students (they can’t read or write but they feel good about themselves). As with the educators, he failed. Conrad has no self-esteem left and Bob has likely blown the chance to move on to another round.
THE CURSE OF DAVID JUSTICE WILL BE BROKEN THIS YEAR
October 11th, 2010
12:39 pm
LET’S GET THIS SEASON OVER WITH,BECAUSE BOOBY WILL GET OUTCOACHED AGAINST THE PHILLIES!
P.S. WITH CHIPPER AND PRADO BACK AND WITH BOOBY GONE WE WILL BE BETTER OFF NEXT YEAR!
htownbravesfan
October 11th, 2010
12:39 pm
My family is a baseball family, and my dad and I understand that once the errors get in your head, there’s no way out except to not play. We both knew after the end of the regular season and the first error he made in game one Conrad was done. These aren’t difficult plays, they’re as routine as they get. I’d be a million dollars if you asked D Lowe off the record if he thought Conrad should be in he would give you an emphatic NO. Bobby has to think about his pitcher and his team, and that means the bench for Brooks. On the other hand, Kimbrel should have stayed in the game to face Huff. If Cox was truly playing the statistics that would have been the decision. Another case of a manager completely overmanaging in the specialization age. Then again, Cox has done this in numerous other playoff series, and the result has usually been the same-losses. Like his team, a great in the regular season, but not built for the playoffs. With that being said, let’s win these next two. Go Braves!!
Scott
October 11th, 2010
12:39 pm
Conrad has a role and starting is not it. Never should’ve been!
GT Alum
October 11th, 2010
12:40 pm
lefty fielder –
The only other player on the team who has an error in this series is Ankiel, who hit the game winner in the only game we’ve won in this series. The guys you name have been non-factors in this series. Brooks has been a factor, unfortunately he’s been a negative factor. Anemic hitting is bad, but it’s honestly something that we’ve come to expect from this team. Brooks has compounded poor hitting with terrible defense.
alittle_leaguers_mom
October 11th, 2010
12:40 pm
All i can say is i really felt for Conrad’s mom…….;-(
wildbill
October 11th, 2010
12:40 pm
Give Conrad a one way bus ticket to Tim-Buc-too, put in the bat boy as he would be a worthy replacement.
Scott
October 11th, 2010
12:40 pm
Infante
Ankiel
Diaz
McCann
Lee
Heyward
Glaus
Gonzalez