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
JC
September 20th, 2011
4:44 pm
Continue praying to the baseball gods for mercy..
wayn-o
September 20th, 2011
4:46 pm
start all the bench players to show them what they are missing. Let them watch.
Bourn
Diaz
Uggla
Hinski
Ross
Conrad
Wilson
Constanza
any pitcher not named Lowe.
John A.
September 20th, 2011
4:47 pm
I get sick and tired of reading this hogwash that these kids blah blah…..who the hell are you trying to kid? These guys you are calling kid are all GROWN MEN!!!!! They get paid a damn site more than you do, and all they want to do is whine and complain.
It’s time for these punks to MAN UP…..Play like they really deserve to get the salaries they get. Do any of you make $15M per year to play a game? Do any of you make $200,000.00 to play a game? I suggest they all get real and start playing for the fans that pay their salaries.
Instead of putting their average on the scoreboard, why not put how much they are getting paid to be at bat? This is not a game for them……it’s their job!!!! Also, do the same for the guy that is on the mound…just because they only pitch every 4th or 5th day doesn’t give them the right to get a pass.
Does any of these ballplayers ever consider how much it costs to go to a game? For a single individual to go to the game it will cost $100.00….parking, beer, hotdog, ticket (good seat). If you take a date you’re talking about $200, and heaven help you if you should have two kids.
If I sound upset, you bet I am. Actually I’m pissed…..these guys (including Fredi, Frank, John and Bobby) should be down there kicking ass instead of making excuses for their lack of effort. To be paid in the manner in which they are, they should be giving more than they are, instead of embarassing themselves.
robdawg08
September 20th, 2011
4:47 pm
Mark, you know I want Accountability ! You can make fun but its sadly the truth. Each player has to look in the mirror,adjust,and do their jobs. If each player will do their part then the whole will be just fine. Simple but true. But how does that happen ? Players need to go look at video tape of when they were successful. Maybe a hitter’s stance or bat position has changed ? Maybe a pitcher has a higher or lower arm angle ?
I’ll tell you this much, Tony Gwynn believed in video tape religiously and he RARELY slumped !
rico carty
September 20th, 2011
4:47 pm
Quit swinging at the first pitch, work the opposing pitchers more. The Braves have the shortest offensive innings in history. Bench D. Lowe.
Rich P.
September 20th, 2011
4:59 pm
Re-activate Rafael Belliard and get some REAL offense going!
DawgDad
September 20th, 2011
5:00 pm
They’ve been playing hard, and they need to keep playing hard. They’ve taken some tough shots lately and they need to keep their heads up grow stronger from the adversity.
My baseball advice would be seriously consider starting somebody besides Derek Lowe. I’m not sold on Prado in the number two slot; I like Heyward there especially against a right-handed starter, but that isn’t winning or losing these games for them.
Korg
September 20th, 2011
5:00 pm
it’s ok folkes we will be fine
Rafael Ramirez
September 20th, 2011
5:02 pm
Rufino Linares died in 1998
Ralph Garr would sit the bench with this coaching staff
September 20th, 2011
5:02 pm
The team lost a spark when Constanza was relegated to the bench so that the ‘phenom’ could go back to right field. Georgie hits .300 all throughout the minors, and when his average dips below .400 in Atlanta, he is sent back to the bench. Meanwhile, Heyward hits .230 all season, and hasn’t yet hustled down to first on a grounder to second or short while Constanza has only one speed: wide open. Just as ‘Speed merchant’ said, Heyward needs to sit and figure it out next year.
Main Man
September 20th, 2011
5:03 pm
The chemistry of the team was altered by moving Constanza to the bench in favor of Heyward. When you alter the team chemistry you sometimes cannot get it back !!! Try it again and see what happens.
Don't Give Up on This Team.
September 20th, 2011
5:04 pm
Braves will go 4-4 and nip the Cards by one game for the WC. Hanson will return and, with Hudson, help the braves to a surprising series win in the first round.
Mark it down.
Bobbys' Booger
September 20th, 2011
5:05 pm
It’s really quite simple and many bloggers have stated much of the PROBLEMS:
Year long bullpen abuse. – Fredi
Heyward shouldve been in minors for 2nd half until September – Fredi/nitwitGM
Worthless hitting coach who changed hitting philosophy to swinging early in counts. Last year we led league in walks and pitches seen like the YANKEES always do. – who hired LP? –nitwitGM
Quit whining about losing Hanson and JJ- all teams have injuries and Braves have had less than StL and San Fran…quit COMPLAINING…- some fans
Lack of fundamentals like BUNTING- Prado -and LP…or does our “hitting coach” frown on bunting?
Lack of fire from the dugout. – Fredi…get your azz thrown out…blow up…they need you to vent for them..additional benefit of Fredi not being on the bench.
Play Costanza at least some…jaysus…what part of speed kills don’t you get? – Fredi
Have some fun out there. This team is so tight you couldnt put a greased needle up anyone’s you know where. – whole team
speed kills!
September 20th, 2011
5:06 pm
ya know..Freddie…BOURNE AND CONSTANZA! IT IMPERATIVE THOSE TWO ARE IN THE LINE UP ON THE SAME DAY! What are you thinking not utilizing the SPEED! We had a bettter winning % with those two in the line up…no matter Left or Righty pitching…yea, Heyward got a homer last night but dont be fooled by him…he will go 0 for the next 30 abats..Freddie…lets WIN put the best chance of the Braves to win on the field…! Dont worry about hurting egos…play the hot players…and SPEED KILLS!
Felix
September 20th, 2011
5:06 pm
Fredi: Clean your golf clubs cause you’ll be able to hit the links soon. It’s over. This team is done. They struggle against the weakest teams; but the Cards, who just whipped the Phillies 3 out of 4 at their place, are on a mission. The Cards remaining schedule is so easy they just might win out. Your Braves might lose another series to a lousy team and then you have to face those pesky Nats and then guess what?—-You get to finish against the Phils.
hephdawg
September 20th, 2011
5:08 pm
tell the umps that the plate has corners. Lastfew weeks they have pinched the strike zone badly. Tell Brian to call the game realizing he has to keep the young guys out of middle of the plate. Take Prado out of the 2 hole put a someone with the ability just push Bourn along and not worry what pitch to hit. We have just a few left and we need to get going. Light a big week long fire under these guys.
Let the atlanta sprit own club
September 20th, 2011
5:09 pm
Here Mark Bradley what u Miss is what help Cards win in 1964 if they did not get Lou brock in Trade from Cubs then Phillies would had won NL pennant that year W.S. Maybe…But thanks to another laughin stock name is chicago st.louis would not won WSeries over Yankees!..Also sit hayward down say we get someone else show u how! If not we be home with cox beatin his wife soon!
Fire the Coach NOW!
September 20th, 2011
5:10 pm
It’s time for him to go. He did well with this team for a while, although I think he was just winning with someone else’s players, not players he brought into the system. He’s lost the fire. I think he’s lost the players and lost control of the whole team. This downward spiral must stop now. This will never be a top tiered team with him as coach. He must be fired NOW! Oh wait. I thought we were still talking about Mark Richt. Sorry. Well, at least fire Bobo and I’m sure the Braves will make the playoffs.
bulldogbubba
September 20th, 2011
5:15 pm
I say Clusters on 3rd and Stinky Wintes plays left field.If there was a time to play your best players it is NOW.Heyward is not getting it done.He looks like Andruw Jones at the plate watching the ball go by.Lowe stinks period!!!Sit chipper and play Prado at 3rd, Costanza in left and Diaz in right.Hopefully these minor-league coaches they called up are helping them see better ways to win some of these ballgames.
speed kills!
September 20th, 2011
5:21 pm
Constanza and Bourne in the line up ;the rest of this year or the Braves are done! Play the players that are producing consistently not every 35 at bats…
We were playing exciting winning baseball with Constanza and Bourne in the line up!
Go figure why dont you have then in the line up now Freddie…it dont take a coach that wants to win long to figure out how to win…I think? CONSTANZA OUT FIELD ALL THE TIME…! DUHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
DawgDad
September 20th, 2011
5:28 pm
I totally disagree with the posters pointing to the “benching” of Constanza. Heyward is a better all-round player and with his power and eye at the plate he doesn’t have to hit for the same average to be more productive. Freddi bled the best there was to get out of Constanza, and hopefully he can provide some spark off the bench or filling in.
Now, you could point to Freddi continuing to run McCann out there when he’s not hitting and have a valid point. But no manager, me included, is not going to play a healthy McCann. At this point either the players on the field get it done or they don’t. The question now isn’t “can Freddi manage this team or write a lineup or whatever”, it’s “can the players and pitchers they have get the job done”. We’ll see.
The Braves have a solid nucleus of talented young players and players in their prime. If these 20-24 year old pitchers and players can bring this thing home the experience could be invaluable and very entertaining.
Bobbys' Booger
September 20th, 2011
5:28 pm
ah yes speed does kill. of course our dear man Fredi thinks it’s a DRUG.
additionally, please lets show some fire…some heart, some passion, some fun out there. That is a tall order I know since our “beloved” nitwit GM has to neuter the team of emotional players..Prado excepted.
DawgDad
September 20th, 2011
5:34 pm
Let the Atlanta spirit: Hey, in 1964 the Phillies were on a mission of self-destruction, flushed down the drain by an absolutely retarded manager. The team that should kick themselves for not winning in 64 was the Reds.
Even a Braves collapse wouldn’t top what the Phillies failed to accomplish in that last week.
VinceVanGo
September 20th, 2011
5:36 pm
I have followed the Braves for over 34 years and they are my team. But I am also a baseball purist. If they go 4-4 as many suggest would get them into the playoffs, I would rather that they not be there. Would they deserve to be in the playoffs with the way they have played over the last month. No! The Cards are hungry and the Braves are not. I know they lost their 2 best first half starters, but good hungry teams find a way to overcome that. I am not a Frank Wren basher, but the biggest problem with the Braves is the financial limits from Liberty Media, and two poor deals that Wren made. We’ve had three years of D. Lowe & K. Kawakami at $22 million a year equals $66 million for what? 40-45(?) victories at most between them over the 3 year period. That’s probably the worst turn for your dollar in the history of baseball. As far as what advice would I give Fredi for the rest of this year. Put D. Lowe in the bullpen and ship him out this winter. Give McCann, Heyward & Prado some bench time. Find playing time for Constanza and turn him and Bourn loose on the base paths. Consider swapping Venters & O”Flarherty in their 7th/8th inning roles. O’Flarherty appears a little fresher than Venter’s and has earned a chance in the set up role. It might also make Kimbrell think that he may be next to be moved around if he continues to give up the long ball. And keep throwing the rookie pitchers out there as starters & in the bullpen. They’re doing more than okay and they are the future.
Bobby Bobby
September 20th, 2011
5:38 pm
Constanza!
Ralph Garr would sit the bench with this coaching staff
September 20th, 2011
5:48 pm
Why’d my last post get deleted? All I said was ‘Heyward doesn’t hustle like Constanza’ Constanza makes things happen with his speed, defensively and offensively. JHey already has acquired the ‘veteran’s jog’ to first base when he hits a ground ball that is caught by an infielder. Constanza gets on base with those through pure hustle.
Noholdsbarred
September 20th, 2011
5:50 pm
Walk out on the field like you’re taking the lineup . . . tip your hat to the crowd and announce “I’m going home, the season is over” . . .
Fredi, listen up! Free Advice !
September 20th, 2011
5:51 pm
Let Constanza play right field. He outhustled Heyward every single time he bats and every time a ball is hit to him in right! Heyward has speed, he only uses it when it suits him. Constanza is an energizer bunny!
Thomas Williams
September 20th, 2011
6:03 pm
Lost in the issues with Venters and Kimbrel is the fact that McCann is the one calling the wrong pitches. The pitch to Omar last night should have been off-speed instead of fastball. The same has happended with Venters lately as well.
Hy Ronatt
September 20th, 2011
6:11 pm
quit now, you fat bastage. Hope that helps.
Billy
September 20th, 2011
6:21 pm
It started when Constanza hurt his ankle and Braves got Diaz back………..
al
September 20th, 2011
6:29 pm
Ralph Garr, when did Heyward not run out grounders? I’ve watched him play and have not seen it.
P Rose
September 20th, 2011
6:34 pm
Give the players steroids!
P Rose
September 20th, 2011
6:35 pm
Replace the first and third base coaches with Hooters waitresses to add speed on the base paths!
kral
September 20th, 2011
6:36 pm
I am a pessimistic-optimus…prepare for the worse…hope for the best….great blog set-up MB…to bad some people took it serious and actually gave advice
P Rose
September 20th, 2011
6:36 pm
Invite Mike Vick to throw out the first pitch in order to sell out the ball park!
P Rose
September 20th, 2011
6:38 pm
Start putting yellow pennants on the outfield wall for 2nd place finishes!
P Rose
September 20th, 2011
6:38 pm
Lower the price of B E E R and keep selling it after the seventh inning!
P Rose
September 20th, 2011
6:39 pm
Seriously though, guys, just relax and win a freakin’ ball game already. Geez.
WoW
September 20th, 2011
6:44 pm
There is no fire in this team…no sense of purpose as they think they will just walk into the playoffs. It is over!!!
Gatorman
September 20th, 2011
6:46 pm
I said this when the season start on the AJC postings that the Braves would be lucky to make the playoffs, but not for the reasons they are losing now. Over use of the bullpen, is a dead giveaway that you don’t have reliable starting pitching (which I thought they would). However, the hitting should have been more consistent (which it is not), but my prediction was then and is now that Gonzalez was not a good pick for this team (more Bobby Cox style management). I also said that Chipper Jones would be a non-factor because of his constant injury problem, but now I believe his attitude toward young players has affected many of the young guys bringing enthusiasm to the team. The Braves are smoke and mirrors and now we see why. They have only 2-3 reliable pitchers and one them can’t pitch more than 6 innings. Chipper, Gonzales (at short) and Uggla at second base was three bad choices to have on the team. Next year the Braves need to look for infield help and at least one more solid pitcher. Even then 87-90 victories is all they can expect until some of the young pitchers come of age and the aging infield is replaced.
Hilltopper
September 20th, 2011
7:09 pm
Get rid of Lowe. A disaster the entire year.
Pissed off Ralphus
September 20th, 2011
7:12 pm
Here’s what Fredi should do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUc62jD-G0o
From :53–>1:34
Greg
September 20th, 2011
7:17 pm
nice chipper. you’re suppose to swing at strikes and not swing at balls.
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
September 20th, 2011
7:38 pm
Send Lowe on an immedite 30 day vacation out of the country. Play Constanza.
wins-by-a-link
September 20th, 2011
8:44 pm
FG will be blamed for failing to make post season, Many factors decide if a team is sucessful or a failure, Number one is injuries, Players get hurt, Happens to all teams, Players have hitting slumps, Some last longer than others, Some players will exceed expectations, Others will fail to meet expectations, Some players choke under pressure, Some flourish, Most of these things that happen are not the fault of the manager, But as the old saying goes “Its easier to fire the manager than the whole team”.
Jay thomas
September 20th, 2011
9:12 pm
Play Constanza!!!
gcs
September 20th, 2011
9:14 pm
Why did Alex Gonzalez come out of the game?
rugburn
September 20th, 2011
9:33 pm
chipper has never run on ground balls even when they are bobbled. he is a terrible example. when he missed that chopper last night he never even turned to see where it went. what makes fans think he would be a good manager? do as i say not as i do because i’m great and can blame someone else.
Brave Fan
September 20th, 2011
9:43 pm
It would be nice to think that our guys actually cared if they made the postseason. They seem to be very tired of playing baseball!! No passion, don’t run out ground balls, looks of disgust on faces. What can be done? Fredi needs to chew some folks out. Big time. Tired of seeing guys pout.