Live from Game No. 162: Fredi tries, gently, to rally his Braves!
Is darkness about to descend on the 2011 Atlanta Braves? (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
You wanted a team meeting? Fredi Gonzalez convened (a brief) one after Tuesday’s game. “He let his feelings be known,” Chipper Jones said, but now I offer this warning:
You’re going to be disappointed.
The Braves’ manager did not hurl invective or furniture. What he said was essentially what he told the press moments later. “I told them I wouldn’t pick another bunch of guys to go out and win one game,” Gonzalez said. “I also told them to get a nice sleep and come out ready tomorrow.”
Then: “It wasn’t like Knute Rockne. But maybe 50 years from now it’ll be in a book of great speeches.”
When you’ve handed back an 8 1/2-game lead and there’s only one game to go, what else is there to say? “If we blow this, you’re all fired”? (Those pesky longterm contracts might mitigate against such a purge.) “Take two and hit to right”? (Sounds like something the hitting coach should have been saying.) “You’re a bunch of choking dogs — now go relax and win this game”? (A bit of a mixed message, eh?)
It’s Game No. 162, you’re can’t install the Wishbone. And if you’re wondering why Fredi G. didn’t try to incite his men … well, these are grown men. They know what they need to do.
Chipper said Wednesday that the city of Atlanta was ready to box these players’ ears. (Or words to that effect.) Someone noted that at least such venom showed this city cares. Said Jones: “We care, too. Nobody cares more than we do. We just need to batten down the hatches and give ourselves a chance.”
Of his manager, Jones said: “I just don’t know what strings he can pull. It’s up to the players to put up good at-bats and up to the pitchers to put up zeroes.”
Of the Braves’ inability to score (four runs in the past four games), Jones said: “We have picked an inopportune time to make outs with runners in scoring position.”
Here he smiled. Baseball can be such a simple game. “If we could control when we struggle and when we’re hot, the game would be pretty easy.”
Nobody disputes that these Braves have made this much harder than it should have been. At the same time, they haven’t quite blown it yet. They’ve got Tim Hudson working tonight, and he’s the guy you’d want taking the ball even if Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson were hale and hearty. And the Cardinals will be facing a hot pitcher.
“We’re big Brett Myers fans,” Chipper said, speaking of Houston’s starter. “He went to my high school. I’m hoping for some Bolles mojo.”
The Braves didn’t appear a beaten team beforehand. They went about their pregame business the way they usually go about their pregame business. And Gonzalez sounded utterly upbeat in an extended media session.
He had, he said, packed “all the way through Sunday night.” If a one-game playoff with the Cardinals is required, the Braves will depart tonight. Should they win in St. Louis, they’d head for Milwaukee or Phoenix. Did Fredi pack attire for both the Midwest and the desert?
“They’re both indoor stadiums,” he said. “Besides, I don’t have that kind of wardrobe.”
The big news of the afternoon: Shortstop Alex Gonzalez could, his manager said, miss up to two weeks with a calf injury. Jack Wilson will start in his stead and bat eighth tonight. And batting seventh with be the right-handed hitting Matt Diaz; Jason Heyward has been omitted from the starting lineup for Game No. 162 — even though the Phillies are deploying righthander Joe Blanton.
Fredi’s reasoning: Blanton is actually more effective against lefties than righties — the numbers underscore the point — and Philly plans to bring in lefty Cole Hamels after three innings, which would force the Braves to pinch-hit early if Heyward started.
Gonzalez: “We’ve got a lineup capable of grinding out a group of at-bats.”
And that, assuming some of the at-bats conclude with hits, would be a good thing. And these Braves weren’t acting as if they were looking for a soft place to plop down. They want to keep playing. They want to win. I think they’ll be playing in St. Louis tomorrow night. So does their manager.
Asked if his team would win tonight, Gonzalez said: “Yes. We’re going to go out and play the best baseball game we can play.”
That might be enough. It might not. That’s why they play the game. “Hopefully at about 10:30 or so we’ll be shaking hands and seeing what’s happening with the Astros and Cardinals,” Gonzalez said.
And I’ll be here until we know what’s what, baseball-wise. I ask you to join me as Game No. 162 unfolds. I thank you, as ever, in advance.
By Mark Bradley
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1,908 comments Add your comment
bogardem
September 28th, 2011
11:54 pm
Chipper Jones is the Teflon Superstar. I can’t remember a so-called marquee player that consistently failed to deliver leadership and production when needed most, and yet received so little journalistic scrutiny or criticism. When the fans and writers demand better, they’ll get better.
TN Jeff
September 28th, 2011
11:54 pm
Wow – Tampa Gator has seen chippers medical reports. Thanks for the inside info man
rocketfuel
September 28th, 2011
11:54 pm
Way to go Braves,CHOKE JOB.Lost to some of the worst teams in the NL.Will not spend my money and gas and time to comr watch the CHOKERS play next year.
Cleanuphitter16
September 28th, 2011
11:54 pm
Sick of this team, sick of this manager (already,) sick of this season. PhillyGuy, shut the *%&^ up and act like you’ve been there…we played Philly to a deadlock for 4.5 months this year. We ended the season with three rookies and Lowe starting. We fans that bother going to games and have cared for decades saw this coming with a worn-out, daycare bullpen (with an amazing ceiling, I might add…enjoy that in a year or two.) I am well aware that your Phillies would buy around the starting-pitching issue, but we are not able to do that. Those rookies will, in all likelihood, be kicking your old-ass team in two years, so be very careful how much you boast and rub it in right now. Karma’s a bitch.
Tampa Gator
September 28th, 2011
11:54 pm
Darn….the yankees have first and third with no outs against the Rays.
IlliniBrave
September 28th, 2011
11:54 pm
At least we won’t have to listen to Phillies tools poaching on our blog anymore. Guess they will have to go over to the STL Dispatch’s Sports page.
Leo Mazzone
September 28th, 2011
11:54 pm
They just need Lowe to dial one up!
Fire Fredi
September 28th, 2011
11:54 pm
Anything else need to be said. I could have done a better job.
Little Jimmy
September 28th, 2011
11:54 pm
Bobby ball is a disease and we’re sick as hell.
Dose of Reality
September 28th, 2011
11:54 pm
This hurts deeply, the only thing that compares to this is that Falcons loss to Green bay during the playoffs… But fellow Bravo fans, even after this heartbreaking loss to the phillies and pulling one of the biggest chokers of all time, life will go on…. Let the playoff teams have their high priced bottles… Take the Kids out to play, enjoy quality time with Friends and Family, indulge in some of your favorite hobbies… There is truly more to life than these pathetic teams in our State… Have a great night
Boyz From N. Ave.
September 28th, 2011
11:54 pm
TN Jeff….good point. Not only are our major sports teams losers….the press for the most part treats em with kid gloves. Can u imagine this team in Boston or NY or LA. Freddi G would be fired tomorrow.
TomDawg
September 28th, 2011
11:54 pm
Is it not ironic that Dan Uggla and Hunter Pence are involved in 2 plays that changed the whole game? When Jack Wilson got his hit, Uggla should have scored fairly easy, however, Danny Boy started his run from second like he thought the Phillies would concede the run. Only when he rounded 3rd did he notice Pence come up firing and only then did he get his motor going, but by then it was too late. Dan, your team is struggling to score some runs, so when you have a chance to score, PLEASE run like the frigging wind!!! We might have won had that run scored. Agree or disagree?
THE FAN
September 28th, 2011
11:54 pm
I’ve lived in Atlanta all my life, and just think this town is cursed. It doesn’t matter in whatever sport, we can never get over the hump………. I know we have one championship, but my god we should be stock piled with HARDWARE……………
M10
September 28th, 2011
11:55 pm
Im sorry but F.Gonzalez needs to be fired.Im so sick of this franchise being avg.They better add another good bat or Im not spending another d**n dime on this team.
Frank Wren
September 28th, 2011
11:55 pm
Winner win, losers get signed by me.
Leo Mazzone
September 28th, 2011
11:55 pm
Take your stats and shove ‘em!
And Conrad Strikes Out
September 28th, 2011
11:55 pm
Fire Freddi. That’s all I have to say. Good Night.
Tampa Gator
September 28th, 2011
11:55 pm
Wow……the Rays have the opposite kind of luck…..the Yankee runner made a mistake at third….and is tagged out.
The Citizen
September 28th, 2011
11:55 pm
Frank Wren will do NOTHING to change this starting lineup. Lowe will still be in our rotations. Hell, we couldn’t give Kawakami away, how can we drop Lowe without eating the entire $15 million?
You’ll hear the same crap. “We have a solid core. We were contenders last year. We don’t want to disrupt things. We just had some bad breaks.”
I Knew you'd miss me- Rick Ankiel
September 28th, 2011
11:55 pm
Thanks Bryan Jordan- tipping his cap to the Cardinals. Ughhhhhh
Skip Caray
September 28th, 2011
11:55 pm
And that’s your ball game, folks.
Bradley Blows
September 28th, 2011
11:55 pm
Nice calls Mark Bradley. Get out of my town. You suck!
Little Jimmy
September 28th, 2011
11:56 pm
Leo: “Well we didn’t score many runs, but by gosh we hit the ball real hard and that’s what matters.”
stendek
September 28th, 2011
11:56 pm
I have seen some unwinning Brave teams over the decades. I have never seen a Brave team as heartless as this one. That is the ultimate insult. Shamed city and themselves!
Leo Mazzone
September 28th, 2011
11:56 pm
Wait? The season’s over? Well wha.. how th – well how about that. They’ll get right next season.
TN Jeff
September 28th, 2011
11:56 pm
The Braves started winning when they played Constanza and started using speed to put pressure on defenses. I have no idea why he got permanently benched so we could watcher inferior defense and offense from Heyward.
PhillyGuy
September 28th, 2011
11:56 pm
Cleanuphitter16… Deadlocked? When were the Braves and Phils tied this year? Stop using injuries as a sad excuse. The phils had a ton. The cards had a ton. The braves had a ton. 2 of the 3 overcame them. One team folded under the pressure. DEAL WITH IT
jfreak13713
September 28th, 2011
11:56 pm
Ron Gant and Brian Jordan? Really? Give the Cards credit huh? Idiots!
done
September 28th, 2011
11:56 pm
No worries…. the Thrashers start playing soon….oops. I mean the Hawks.. uhh. At least the Falcons aren’t 0-3
INEPT
September 28th, 2011
11:56 pm
2011 Payrolls
Lowe, Chipper, McLouth, Kawakami $43.3M
Tampa Bay Rays $42.7M
Wait to next year; Fredi, Wren, Parrish, Lowe, Chipper will all be back for your disappointment.
But don’t worry, Mark will give them his SI vote of confidence in August as usually.
Tampa Gator
September 28th, 2011
11:56 pm
THE FAN….
Mr. Cox made sure that the Braves only got one title in 14 seasons of winning the division. Fredi can’t even get the Braves into the playoffs with a 9 game lead with 30 days left to play.
Gregory Moundine
September 28th, 2011
11:56 pm
I still love you Braves! Now go get some pitching. This is the same feeling i had last year when Green Bay beat our Falcons!
LakeDawg
September 28th, 2011
11:56 pm
A team playing .500 ball in September would’ve gained 9 games on the Braves. The Cardinals were red hot in the month of September and won the wild card by one measly game. Let that sink in. A humongous collapse. Unbelievable.
AlforATL
September 28th, 2011
11:56 pm
The Cardinals got red hot at the right time and the Braves turned to ice. I’m surprised the Braves were as close as they were with their cobbled together pitching rotation and a really paper thin lineup. Even Prado and McCann have been very disappointing. They desperately need help on offense. It’s not Fredi’s fault the guys haven’t been hitting.
And I don’t care how “loose” and “upbeat” everyone seems, you don’t blow an 8.5 game wild card lead and not have it affect you. Guys were clearly very frustrated out there at the plate tonight, particularly in the late innings. They were tense and trying too hard.
TheAntiMe
September 28th, 2011
11:57 pm
I hate you, Braves. I hope every darn one of you gets stuck in quicksand this weekend when you are out on the golf course. Except for Chipper, of course. I hope Chipper gets eaten by a bear the next time he is in his deer stand. Oh, and by the way, Brian McBlubber. Lose some weight! You’re too GD fat!
Chipper's Back in 2012!
September 28th, 2011
11:57 pm
chipper’s decided to come back another year! 2012 is the year of the brave!!! Chiipper’s back!! YES!!!
Leo Mazzone
September 28th, 2011
11:57 pm
Little Jimmy’s got the right attitude. All the rest of ‘em are just whiners. Listen, just dial one up! Dial one up! Dial one! Dial!
J-Man
September 28th, 2011
11:57 pm
I feel so sick right now theres no excuse for this choke job. Frank Wren you MUST FIRE FREDI and Fire Parrish, and send Lowe to Double A like you did Kawakami. Bring in a manager that doesn’t TIP HIS CAP and light a fire under his players A$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
REY
September 28th, 2011
11:57 pm
STUCK ON 89. FOR DAYS!!!! JUST NEEDED TO GET TO 90.
Big Wally
September 28th, 2011
11:57 pm
Team will suck in future too. Bourn has Boros as agent, so he won’t sign with Atl next year. Prado is a utility man, Heyward is lazy and will be back in minors next year, Chipper is washed up, Gonzo is washed up, Uggla we are stuck with, but he is number 8 hitter at best, Freeman, aver. first baseman, and McChoke, just wants to go to McDonalds.
Bravo Man
September 28th, 2011
11:57 pm
Well is finally over, no more pain!! FG should be Fire!! C Jones better starts filling the retirement papers, Trade Prado, please find a good outfielder and a new third base!!
I Just can stand this group of losers !!!
Gregory Moundine
September 28th, 2011
11:57 pm
I know Florida Marlins owner is smiling now plus he has a new rich manager!
Little Jimmy
September 28th, 2011
11:58 pm
I hope Boston doesn’t blow it so this collapse looks even more monumental.
extremus
September 28th, 2011
11:58 pm
1985: Joe Torre is replaced by Eddie Haas as Braves manager, who tells his team “Don’t be afraid to fail”. Apparently they take his words literally, losing 96 games and finishing fifth in the NL West; Haas is fired that same year.
2011: Freddi Gonzalez replaces Bobby Cox in the name of a “smooth transition”; the season never feels right from the beginning, and Freddi’s most commonly heard catchphrase is “Tip your cap to…” instead of “We failed to do this or execute that, and we’re going to do what it takes to fix the problem”, something that fans quickly noticed and were concerned over. A year of seeming apathy toward glaring issues like a woeful offense and an overused bullpen trio, coupled with company-line statements by Gonzalez that feel passionless and going-through-the-motions, and the Braves manage to turn an 8 1/2 game wildcard lead into a late September offseason.
2011-12: Braves introduce a new ownership, a new manager and coaching staff, and a bunch of new faces in an effort to restore the team’s damaged image and marketability. Will it work? It could go either way; only time will tell.
Derek D
September 28th, 2011
11:58 pm
The Braves performed exactly as the losers of every postseason playoff series except one. All of the top hitters bat around .200 or below, the bullpen goes south for the winter, and no one can even get one clutch single. At least they didn’t deprive a more deserving team of having a playoff shot this time.
The blame? The Not-So-Bravos, as I’ve said before are guilty of the Flames/Thrashers syndrome, i.e., spineless wimps, gutless wonders and overpaid underachievers. Leave us in peace, go to Winnipeg or somewhere else (and take the Falcons with you!) Oh yes, and bring back the Atlanta Chiefs and the Atlanta Knights, both of whom were winners and overachievers.
Tampa Gator
September 28th, 2011
11:58 pm
This was indeed a shameful last 30 days of the season by the helpless Braves players and their gutless manager.
Choke and Apathy
September 28th, 2011
11:58 pm
At times, it almost seems like it would be feel better if the Braves were back in the cellar. At least no hopes, no expectations.
This is unacceptable — Freddy and Frank should be given pink slips along with a bunch of players.
I would rather find a bunch of new guys with no credentials and experience fight to prove themselves than this bunch who find themselves feeling comfort and giving an adequate attempt. There’s no passion, there’s no drive. They should be ashamed of themselves, but I’m sure there are not — at the end of the day, they get paid a nice salary, now they can watch the playoffs and relax.
What started in 1991 with the passion and fire of the Braves miraculous worst to first has died. And it’s just doesn’t smell bad, it reeks, and is so putrid that it requires a gas mask that hasn’t been invented yet. Pretty soon, the Braves will descend back to the where they use to be, and maybe even rightful place. They just won’t seem as lovable without having a TBS telecast to encourage people to root for the underdog.
bulldozier99
September 28th, 2011
11:58 pm
fredi is dumb as a rock…why not walk pen hitting 312 for the other guy hitting 197….did the samething back when we played stl could have walked puhjos but didn’t
Mike
September 28th, 2011
11:59 pm
Here’s an overlooked blunder. 1st and 2nd…no outs…Chipper up, Uggla next. Bourne gets thrown out trying to steal third (yes, Joe Simpson, he was OUT)? With no outs and our two big “power” hitters up?
Uggla puts one in the seats two minutes later.
Why?
We’d be headed to st. Louis otherwise.
Sid Bream
September 28th, 2011
11:59 pm
I wanted to slid