Help Fredi steady the reeling Braves: Your tips welcome!
Who thinks either man knows a thing about baseball? (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
The Braves, as noted, have played their way into a spot of bother. But this is baseball, where momentum is tomorrow’s — by now, that would be today’s — starting pitcher, who would be Randall Delgado. So hope remains. That said …
I know you folks. (Not personally, not even Sonny Clusters — at least not to my knowledge.) I know you’re not willing to rely on ephemeral concepts like momentum and fate. You want managerial action! And here’s where I ask: With his team reeling, what should Fredi Gonzalez do?
(I pause to note: Unlike his predecessor, who relied on his iPhone for electronic interaction, Fredi has a laptop. There’s no guarantee he’ll see the fruits of your wisdom, but there’s a chance. And if your advice is sagacious enough … well, you could be the one who saves the Braves!)
Being a famously splendid sport, I’ll go first. My advice to the skipper:
• Tell Chipper Jones, “The next time the ball is hit your way, try to find it.”
• Tell Derek Lowe, “The next time you pitch, throw left-handed.”
• Tell Jason Heyward, “That stuff you were doing last year? Do it again.”
• Tell Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson, “Stop hurting.”
• Tell his hitters, “When there’s a man in scoring position, try to drive him in.”
See, I’m not really sure a turn-over-the-postgame-spread-table tantrum is in order. I don’t for a second believe the Braves aren’t trying as hard as they can. (Think about it. Why would they not be trying hard? Because they’d much rather be lumped with the ‘64 Phillies than partake of postseason play?)
I do believe the injuries to Jurrjens and Hanson have put a greater load on the bullpen, and the load on the bullpen was already immense. I do believe Brian McCann’s post-DL slump has put a strain on a lineup that didn’t have a Prince Fielder or a Ryan Braun in the first place. (Note that Milwaukee has both those guys.) I also note that, if you go by that “expected wins” stat, the Braves’ overall numbers suggest they should be 83-71, not 87-67. So maybe they’ve actually gotten good value from this roster, which could be taken as a sign of — gasp! — skilled managing.
But I know you folks, and I know that’s not what you want to hear. You want action! You want accountability! You want resignations on the postgame-spread table! You want to see this team Play With More Emotion! You want all that stuff you wanted but didn’t get to your satisfaction with Bobby Cox and charge and aren’t getting with Fredi G., either. So here’s your chance.
Tell Fredi what to do. And if your suggestion is good enough and he happens to see it, I’m reasonably certain he’ll tip his cap to you.
By Mark Bradley
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406 comments Add your comment
Curious George
September 20th, 2011
12:38 pm
Do you think we would be in this position if we had Tampa’s manager handling our roster?
Do you think they might trade managers with us?
Shaun
September 20th, 2011
12:39 pm
Mark, outperforming expected wins is not necessarily evidence of good (or bad) managing.
DC
September 20th, 2011
12:40 pm
CONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNSTANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Jcard120
September 20th, 2011
12:41 pm
It just seems like the team has become complacent. They have assumed the playoffs will be given to them, but clearly the cardinals are hungry. Still games left to play..we will see what happens.
southern hope
September 20th, 2011
12:41 pm
Should also note that 1 big game can be the swing…yesterday at 5 p.m. (after the Red Sox lost the 1st of their doubleheader with Baltimore), readers at Boston.com….well, let’s just say that offing themselves was in the mix…and most of them planned to take several others with them as they departed this world. But if you go there this morning (after Boston blew out Baltimore last night), all is great and sunny…
momentum is a funny thing.
rc35
September 20th, 2011
12:42 pm
Start David Ross at catcher for the next game or two. McCann is not producing and has trouble catching Vizcaino.
Find a place for Constanza.
Bench Prado for a game or two. I think he needs a rest a la A-Gon to get his swing and legs back.
Use Moylan more. He’s ready for more than 1/3 of an inning. I know the situation called for a PH last night–no complaint there, but he has the freshest arm out of the pen right now.
Make Pascual Perez the designated driver for Derek Lowe.
Curious George
September 20th, 2011
12:42 pm
Will Fredi Gonzalez cancel his Netflix subscription in order to better focus on his final few games as Braves Mis-Manager?
Appalachia Brave
September 20th, 2011
12:42 pm
I hate to say it but we’re gonna need a miracle. Team captains…Its time to get mad at them dang eggs! ( Cool hand Luke) Come on guys….You can play golf later….Lets kick some a$$!! Play like its your last game ever! Make it count!
Dennis Reynolds
September 20th, 2011
12:42 pm
As much as I dislike Fredi and think he severly mis-managed his bullpen this year, right now theres nothing a manager can really do. Last night the offense did a great job getting on base and scratching out the would be winning run. The over worked bullpen is our downfall now. Which is kind of ironic becuase thats what we’ve leaned on all season long. Fredi made his bed by choosing to use JV in 5 run lead situations early in the season, and now he, as well as all of us, have to lay in it.
Thanks, Fredi. What a great job.
Walker, Texas Ranger
September 20th, 2011
12:43 pm
Take all the boys to Johnny’s for a slumbuster.
Shaun
September 20th, 2011
12:43 pm
The reasons we can tell Fredi isn’t a good manager has little to do with results-based analysis.
One of the reasons we can tell Fredi isn’t a good manager is his insistence on hitting Prado second. Another is his refusal to use Kimbrel in a tie game, 9th inning or later, on the road. Another is that he consistently hit Jordan Schafer lead-off for a stretch of games earlier this season. Another is that he apparently doesn’t realize that when Chipper is in the lineup, Prado deserved to be platooned at least as much as Heyward deserved to be platooned.
blake34
September 20th, 2011
12:43 pm
wtf
Playoffs?
September 20th, 2011
12:44 pm
Couldn’t care less if the Braves make the playoffs. If they do happen to just slide in. Braves always, do what they do best in the playoffs, CHOKE. S.O.S.
Shaggy1973
September 20th, 2011
12:45 pm
So they sit at 2 1/2 games? More like 1/2 game if they’re lucky today. Because Lowe goes Wednesday and they face Strasburg Thursday, while the cards just handled their remaining hurdle.
barves
September 20th, 2011
12:46 pm
I hate everything we have! Why don’t we have other, nicer things, like other people? Other people have perfect teams who do perfect things with perfect managment! And the braves don’t constantly win every game! What is going on?
Because i KNOW that every other team wins every game and never plays poorly.
Braves should fire everyone in the FO, b/c winning a World Title wasn’t enough! Even though it is the only dang title the city has, and no other team has come close to the prolonged sucess we have had.
Yeah Fredi, awful job with the winning season.
Von Trapp
September 20th, 2011
12:46 pm
Take heart………………Ve will clinch……………No vone is going to roll over and give das to us. TAKE it Braves………………………TAKE it
coach13
September 20th, 2011
12:46 pm
There is nothing he can do at this point. Except pray. He can’t make the underperforming offense hit. He’s already taxed the bullpen by letting Venters and Kimbrel pitch with 4 and 5 run leads so they can “stay fresh”. A day off is not going to help them now.
His best bet is to have the offense put up a ton of runs so the bullpen can rest for about a week or even two. Those relief guys can throw on the side to “stay fresh”. Since he won’t do this even if the offense does come alive he’s screwed.
He won’t make it to the playoffs or succeed in them without Venters and Kimbrel being vintage Venters and Kimbrel.
Walker, Texas Ranger
September 20th, 2011
12:48 pm
And by the way, just because Prado hit .300 one year does not make him a .300 hitter. Bat Chipper #2, play Constanza more,
Nick P.
September 20th, 2011
12:49 pm
i keep telling you, this team is .235 batting team, this how they were built, and this is what they are, pitching saved us this whole time, and now that its faltering you cant expect that what has not been there all year, hitting, hitting in cluth, to all of a sudden to be there, they may still make the playoffs, but really i have been there done that already, last year we backed our way into the playoffs, and were bounced out in the first round, which is what we are used to ssince after 1999, do you really want to stay up late to see this incompetent line-up get bounced again in the first round? i keep saying what happened to constanza, and why is Heyward who is a big problem with the bat all of a sudden is starting every game and jose is hardly asked to do anything anymore?
I Got It
September 20th, 2011
12:49 pm
Cap Tips welcome??? I got it, instead of a closed door meeting, they need a closed door beating. Call up Hulk Hogan…
barves
September 20th, 2011
12:49 pm
You know the arguments against the man are bad when the angry bloggers cannot devise one cohesive argument.
He’s made mistakes, but if you make everything out to be as bad as people do on this blog, about everything, all the time…
well, start following the marlins or the mets. just not the braves. b/c i’m sick of it.
barves
September 20th, 2011
12:51 pm
@ walker:
no, being a .307 career hitter make Prado a .300 hitter. This isn’t rocket science.
coach13
September 20th, 2011
12:52 pm
Jcard120- I wouldn’t say complacent. I would say they are pressing because they realize they are spiraling downwards. They realize the wheels are about to come off. When the players and the coaches realize that…panic starts and that’s when the ship finally sinks.
meh
September 20th, 2011
12:53 pm
Lowe needs to quit sucking, the youngstes need to go more than 5 innings, Prado and Mac need to get it going, and Kimbrel needs to pop a top and forget about yesterday.
Mike
September 20th, 2011
12:53 pm
I fear the damage might be done. We will see. The HAVE to win the next two games in Florida and the Wash series to have a shot. The fact is Fredi rode the bullpen too hard. As Buster Olney on ESPN points out, OVentRell already has more appearances than Hoffman or Rivera ever had in a season. Its not completely his fault because his team decided not to hit anything the first half of the season. Too many tight games that would have been lost otherwise. Still, maybe it would have been better to lose those games early, and save his arms for down the stretch. Maybe then it would be the Braves surging and not everyone else.
Still you make a good point, Mark. This is a bargain lineup without the added benefit of serious big bats in the middle of the order.
Nick P.
September 20th, 2011
12:54 pm
here is anothe problem with the line up, i was at the wednesday day game against marlins, and i look by the beginning of fifth inning our pitcher was around the 95 pitch mark, the opposing pitcher was about to pitch his 50th pitch, what does that tell you, our batters are not comfortable at the plate and are failing miserably, either there going up there and swinging at the first pitch, or they watch third strike with bat on their shoulder and not even bothering to protect the plate, either way you cut it, we are not a good line up what so ever, Uggla is alifetime .257 hitter, so even in a good year his average would not be the reason why we make it or dont, we are not a good hitting team, and in ways, we dont deserve the playoffs!
nashvillewill
September 20th, 2011
12:56 pm
At this point it is probably too late. FG has mismanaged this team out of the playoffs. If they complete this dive I suggest FG resign or be fired. In the meanwhile, I do think the following could help:
-Constanza in the lineup, batting second. Heyward and Prado platoon.
-Teheran start in Lowe’s place.
-Platoon Ross and McCann
-O’Flarety is the closer; sorry for what this does to Kimbrel’s ego, but need a veteran in this role down the stretch.
The abovementioned mismanagement includes:
-failing to assess JJ’s injury correctly and get him out of the rotation and into rehab immediately after all-star break;
-misusing bullpen, especially Venters and Kimbrel;
-not starting rookies Teheran and Delgado earlier in season
-yoyoing Minor between Atl and Gwinnett;
-batting Uggla too high in order all season. He is a six-hole hitter at best.
-praising AlexG instead of benching him for lack of production.
There are others but these are the top of the list.
Randal Patrick McMurphy
September 20th, 2011
12:56 pm
Hey Fredi… I’d suggest wearing a Ski Mask to pick up your paychecks… at least Jesse James rode a horse and wore a mask… sheez…
Wilbo
September 20th, 2011
12:56 pm
#1 I see the haunting image of 1 Robert Cox in the background of the photo attached to this piece. If Fredi is locked in a struggle to overcome the Braves’ sickening October impotence, why in the great name of the Grand Poobah of Hollyhock Hill would he ever allow postseason baseball’s most incompetent manager within 20 miles of downtown Atlanta?
#2 The worst fielder on any self-respecting girl’s church league softball team could get to a ball way faster than Chipper Jones. Have Fredi google the term ‘late inning defensive replacement’
#3 Hire Floyd Mayweather to suckerpunch anyone connected to the Braves organization who even wrinkles up his or her lips to utter the word ‘crapshoot’
Jose Constanza
September 20th, 2011
12:57 pm
Fredi, remember me, that guy who came in and hit about .400 and really got the offense going? I love Jason Heyward like a big little brother, but right now I’m twice the player he is. Put me in coach!
I Got It
September 20th, 2011
12:58 pm
Cap Tips welcome??? The closed door meeting didn’t work, so let’s have a closed door beating! Call up Hulk Hogan, he needs some work…
Nick P.
September 20th, 2011
12:59 pm
scary part about the line up is in the off season there are really only two positions you could dosomething about, one is short stop (which is not supposed to be a high batting position, its more about the glove), and right field (which Heyward will naturally get another year since he is so young, after all Francoeur recevied at least four years before we moved on), every body else is deeply entrenched either through contracts, or part of new youth that get more tries, McCann=catcher, Uggla=5year extension, freddie F= 1st base, chipper=says he is coming back, Bourner=havehim for one more year, thank god, Prado=as long as uggla & chipper here=left field, so my question is even if you wanted to fix the lack of hitting, where are the options?
I got gout
September 20th, 2011
12:59 pm
LMAO– go get an Xray to see if you have a HEART.
Now thats funny….and TRUE.
Bourne ,Hoss,Costanza,SeaBass,Freeman.
Whoever the f*** is hot. And whoever can RUN.
Hoss was good in the 2.
But who cares? Play the hot hands.(supposing we have some)
Screw the lineup and the ego
FANtastic
September 20th, 2011
12:59 pm
My tips:
1. Stop striking out with a runner on 3rd with less than 2 out.
2. Derek Lowe should not start another game for the Braves.
3. See # 2
4. Make Heyward stop reaching out around the outside fastball and pulling the ball to second.
5. See # 3
The Reverend Baby Doctor Bedpan
September 20th, 2011
12:59 pm
First place is a Cadillac. Second place is a set of steak knives. Third place is YOU’RE FIRED!
Ted M
September 20th, 2011
1:00 pm
We need to invoke the help of JC. No, not Jesus Christ though he might be able to help but Jose Constanza, he was our spark plug and as soon as we took him out of the lineup we started losing.
I Got It
September 20th, 2011
1:00 pm
I would love to give some suggestions, but your stupid filter won’t let me. Now I’m sure it’ll post both after the fact along with this just to make me look dumb, haha
Jason Heyward
September 20th, 2011
1:02 pm
I would bench myself…
the truth...
September 20th, 2011
1:03 pm
I’m for the time machine….turn it back to the trade deadline….
I’m going for both Pence and Bourne….adding Heyward AND Minor to the mix to unlock the Pence side of it…..
Voila…no more Heyward crap and a real proven all star in right field….
Getting Pence along with Bourn would have pushed us over the edge offensively so that we could handle the pitching woes….
Wade
September 20th, 2011
1:03 pm
Cast lots to find out who is taking this ship down and cast him overboard!
tmc
September 20th, 2011
1:04 pm
They’re to tight.
Take entire team on a “field trip” to a local hospital of sick kids.
Then go straight to a strip club for an hour…
(put life in perspective…
then free their mind to have fun.)
If that doesn’t work, kick ‘em in the @ss.
Whiskey Clear
September 20th, 2011
1:05 pm
Find a way to get Constanza into the lineup. I know he’s been struggling lately, and I’m one of the biggest Heyward fans out there, but this guys speed is unprecedented, and to have him and Bourn bracketing the pitcher’s spot, it just puts so much pressure on the defense to make plays. Tell him to keep the ball on the ground and use his speed. Speed kills, and that’s what was winning games in August. To win now, that must continue, along with solid pitching. So Jurrjens and Hanson need to get off their butts and start earning their keep. I don’t care what you did in June before the All-Star break. Do something now to get us in the playoffs.
Evan Floyd
September 20th, 2011
1:05 pm
My suggestion for Fredi: Do what you think is best. You’re the manager, and we’re just the fans. You’re in the dugout, the locker-room, the meetings, and the road trips. We sit in the stands or watch on TV. All we can ask for is that you have the same passion for the Braves as we do. And I’m sure you absolutely do. The city of Atlanta and Braves fans everywhere have your back.
Smart Jay
September 20th, 2011
1:05 pm
Cards face Chicago, New York, Houston in 9 games. We have Florida, Washington and Phils in 8. If we go 4-4, we’re at 91 wins. Cards will have to 7-2 to tie that. Giants have to go 8-2 in their last 10. The path is still easier for Braves. If we can somehow manage 5-3, that puts us at 92 and those teams can’t afford to lose 2 games. The path is much easier for STL if they just go 6-3 (winning each series), and we go 3-5, which is possible, we’re tied at 90. So, the Braves really need to play at least 4-4 and that forces SF and STL to get at least one series sweep here at the end.
4-4. If the cards go 8-1 to close out, they deserve it anyway.
As for fixing things. Deny Lowe any starts, give the team a chance in 2 games (or 1?). Pray the Nats pack it in and that Florida as proved their point and get us 4 wins from those teams then take at least 1 from the Phils and we’ll be ok.
bob
September 20th, 2011
1:07 pm
FIRE the manager. Any manager who bats a 230 hitter 4th is crazy. The braves don’t bunt or steal. Why is CONSTANZA NOT PLAYING?
Mitchell
September 20th, 2011
1:07 pm
I disagree with a lot of these comments.
This team has tanked on Fredi. There’s no getting around that.
This was supposed to be the year where Jason Heyward would become one of the true star players in the game and a legitimate MVP candidate, where Chipper if healthy would be able to provide a solid middle of the order presence and where Dan Uggla was counted on to be a difference maker.
As much as Larry Parrish should be kicked to the curb, this is all on the team as far as I’m concerned.
The players themselves.
rally
September 20th, 2011
1:08 pm
Play Constanza. We were hot while he was in the lineup. Speed makes the difference.
I got gout
September 20th, 2011
1:11 pm
Thats right. Check your egos @ the door. Its do or DIE!! We match up well with every team in EAST and the Fish,Nats,Fills DONT want us to win.We owned em forever. Aint no team gonna “help” us get in.
CHECK EGOS @ Door. If Tim Hudson is the best at laying down a bunt -then hes the pinch hitter not 1 year wonder Conrad. If it takes 9 frikin pitchers >1 per inn. Then do it.
Quit f***in around.
TheAntiMe
September 20th, 2011
1:12 pm
Tell the Bravos entire team to stop feeling sorry for themselves and to get mad, really mad, and take it out on the Fish, Nats, and Phils.
Kathy
September 20th, 2011
1:14 pm
Get Constanza back in the lineup SOMEWHERE!!!