Parrish the thought: Braves change minds, can hitting coach
Larry Parrish, seen in his one and only spring training with the Braves. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
It made no sense that Fredi Gonzalez would announce, barely 12 hours after the worst collapse in National League history was complete, that his entire coaching staff would return. It made no sense that such a flop wouldn’t spawn at least some measure of re-evaluation.
Today the Braves started making sense. They fired hitting coach Larry Parrish. We can only assume Frank Wren saw what everybody else except Fredi G. saw — that the hitting had been substandard all season.
To reiterate: This should not have been a bad-hitting team. This wasn’t a lineup built around the fanciful notion that Troy Glaus might revert to 2002 form. (Although Troy Glaus did, in May 2010, revert to 2002 form.) The lineup the Braves trotted out after the trading deadline was comprised of seven guys who have made an All-Star roster and the league’s best-hitting rookie. Wren stitched together a fine everyday eight.
But they didn’t hit. Or, more precisely, they hit home runs and nothing else. They were third among NL teams in homers, third-worst in on-base percentage. You can manage that without a batting coach.
The Braves hit .235 in September, a time when more hitting was needed to back up a rotation overrun by rookies. They scored seven runs in their final five games. Had they won even one of those final five, they’d have gotten to play a 163rd game in St. Louis on Thursday. The Braves led 3-1 after three innings of Game No. 162 — and worked 10 more innings without a run.
To retain Parrish would have been the height of folly. The man had never been a big-league batting coach and spent the summer proving he wasn’t one. Who among the Braves seemed to hit better under Parrish than under the hugely chastised (and subsequently reassigned) Terry Pendleton? Brian McCann stopped being as patient. Martin Prado got lost. Jason Heyward got so confused he wound up getting benched.
A hitting coach cannot actually hit for his men, but he can instill an approach. Parrish’s approach seemed to be: Swing hard in case you hit something. (The Braves had the fourth-most strikeouts among NL clubs.) This team entered September with baseball’s fourth-best record because it had hit just enough homers to buttress a stellar rotation and a lockdown bullpen, but two starting pitchers were lost and the bullpen began to buckle from the strain, and when that happened the Braves had nothing.
The Braves hit .243 as a team. The average National League player hit .253. Think about that. Think about a lineup of Uggla and Chipper and McCann and Heyward and Prado and Freeman and finally Bourn falling so far below average … and then deciding the batting coach had earned his keep.
Parrish is a nice enough man who surely knows his baseball, but the men under his tutelage performed so far short of expectations and abilities that he could not possibly have kept his job. Simply to retain credibility as an organization, the Braves had to make this move.
By Mark Bradley
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254 comments Add your comment
bulldogbubba
September 30th, 2011
5:12 pm
Phil would fire FG but keep Chipper to sit on the bench next year.What do you say about Sonny?
01HAWK
September 30th, 2011
5:13 pm
Hire the guy who helped FRENCHIE.
RUDY Jaramillo has been credited for the development of players as Jeff Bagwell, Juan González, Adrian Gonzalez, Iván Rodríguez, Mark Teixeira and Michael Young, among others.
When the New York Mets were in search of a new major league manager in 2004, General Manager Omar Minaya interviewed Jaramillo as a possible managerial candidate. Jaramillo was among the final two candidates for the position, but Willie Randolph was ultimately selected as manager.[citation needed]
Following the 2009 season, Jaramillo announced that he would not remain with the Rangers, opting to seek out other opportunities.[1] He officially signed with the Cubs on October 21, 2009 as their major league hitting coach.
Bobbys' Booger will work for Francona
September 30th, 2011
5:13 pm
Sonny…you can view my outrage on DOB blog the last 2 weeks. i called this EPIC FAIL more than 2 weeks ago and was chastised and run out of the blog by the regular Kool-Aid drinkers
james
September 30th, 2011
5:13 pm
Hire the hitting coach with the best past experience. This is not rocket science. Why go with an unproven talent. We can afford the best.
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2011
5:13 pm
I was stunned Fredi announced his entire staff would be back the morning after the 162nd game. Frank Wren might have been shocked, too.
What??
September 30th, 2011
5:14 pm
Great move. I was upset yesterday when I saw Fredi say he was coming back – glad to see some accountability. Not really happy that Fredi got to keep his job. His use of Venters and Kimbrel in some unnecessary situations early in the season cost us down the stretch.
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2011
5:15 pm
Unfortunately, the best hitting coach in the business has an even better job. He’s managing the Phillies.
Bobbys' Booger will work for Francona
September 30th, 2011
5:15 pm
Well I was too MB…it re-establishes some respect for Wren. I hope he considers Francona.
Tired Braves Fan
September 30th, 2011
5:15 pm
Jo-Bu….”the Braves way”???……..translates into: tease the fans, get their hopes up, then stick a dagger through their hearts, year after year…..you talking about that “Braves way”???
Fans are getting sick of this……get rid of Fredi…..hire Francona, at least he knows what it takes to win championships, despite this years Sox collapse…..I’ll give him the benefit or the doubt.
Or how about really ditch the above “Braves way”…..should have hired Ozzie……now that would have been some sh!t
moboman
September 30th, 2011
5:16 pm
Good override by Wren. No excuse for the fall off in hitting by this team. Some one needed to take the fall for Heywards complete change in patience at the plate, for Prados fall off. For failing to help Uggla get it going until July.
phil
September 30th, 2011
5:16 pm
FG is so clearly not cut out for this job that I can’t believe someone didn’t realize it before he was hired. I never paid the guy any attention and just assumed he’d be ok, but it turns out that Bradley could manage better than him.
Heck, PARRISH could probably have done a better job managing….
Or McCann’s brother, mother, aunt, someone….
Sonny Clusters
September 30th, 2011
5:18 pm
And another thing . . . the hot dogs cost too much and we almost got mugged going to our car. The fans invest a lot to go downtown and see a game. What happens? Derek Lowe sometimes. Ouch! If all the pitchers are hurt does that have something to do with the coaches? Pitching coach maybe? We don’t know how that works but we would show some concern about all the hurt arms young and old. Bobby was not the brightest guy (would you call a monkey with a lineup card?) but Fredi may be even less the professorial manager this team may require. Players see stupidity, too. How do they respect a goofus in the dugout? They’ve certainly had years experience with it. We was happy to see Fredi and now we was thinking we might be happy to see him go.
tony
September 30th, 2011
5:18 pm
What took so long? This should have been done in July. T.P was always on the hotseat when the braves didnt hit.
01HAWK
September 30th, 2011
5:19 pm
SLIPPER JONES could not play for OZZIE………………………………..SLIPPER would retire because he knows OZZIE would not put up with the crap that SLIPPER brings to the clubhouse.
If SLIPPER does not like you then you will be headed out of town.
Tired Braves Fan
September 30th, 2011
5:19 pm
Hey, how about hiring Chipper’s dad as the hitting coach??
Chipper would probably hit .400, 40 HR and 130 RBI
phil
September 30th, 2011
5:19 pm
Bobbys’ Booger will work for Francona
September 30th, 2011
5:13 pm
Sonny…you can view my outrage on DOB blog the last 2 weeks. i called this EPIC FAIL more than 2 weeks ago and was chastised and run out of the blog by the regular Kool-Aid drinkers
******************
I’ll vouch for him. He did indeed!
I cautioned a month ago that we had nothing in the bag and took a lot of grief for it too….
Haven’t heard a lot from those folks, but a few have chimed in with some “we’ll get em next years”s and GO BRAVES crap….it’s great to be an optimist…it really is, but some reality and recognition of the situation is also called for….otherwise, you’re FG himself….and you get slaughtered, like sheep.
Jo-Bu
September 30th, 2011
5:20 pm
Tired Braves Fan
I think that’s what I’m saying. The “Brave’s way” is clearly not working and “that” culture needs to change. Bobby Cox is gone and the game itself has moved on. Teams that are complacent, lathargic, and seem to not have a care in the world because the manager won’t hold them accountable. But at least Fredi made them somewhat accountable compared to BC.
I would LOVE to have Francona as a manager.
Bobbys' Booger will work for Francona
September 30th, 2011
5:21 pm
Gracias Phil
Bobbys' Booger will work for Francona
September 30th, 2011
5:24 pm
(You know Francona’s dad Tito played here in something like 1970)
bobby
September 30th, 2011
5:24 pm
HEY FIRING PARRISH WAS JUST THE BEGINNING THERE IS MORE TO COME BELIEVE ME.
Sonny Clusters
September 30th, 2011
5:25 pm
If you was expressing outrage with DOP or whatever his name is you was wasting your time. The real journalists are Mark and Jeff and they was just getting ready to explode when Parrish got fired. We was waiting for the honey to pour out of the pen . . .
Now, about Chipper . . . we was listening to his quotes for a long time and some of them was cliches we had not heard before. Most, though, came through as balls to the wall and then showing nothing. Nothing. Face it, Chipper knows only this organization. He said maybe the young guys would learn from this. We wonder what Chipper learned? The young guys didn’t lose this. The wily ol’ vet that was dispensing advice and calling out other players is the one that should take most of the responsibility. He hits, sure, but not in the must win games. Over and over – no championship yet the organization sells him as the crafty old veteran. His craft should be crocheting. Can’t go to his left, can’t go to his right. Loses grounders in the lights. Oh, boy, one more year.
Bobbys' Booger will work for Francona
September 30th, 2011
5:27 pm
Sonny…thanks for the heads up…maybe I should pay more attention to our journalistas. re: Chipper you can win with him just not with him being any type of central figure in the lineup.
Tired Braves Fan
September 30th, 2011
5:28 pm
any chance MLB will let Mark Cuban buy the Braves???
…..I know, wishful thinking……but I was just daydreaming……Cuban wouldn’t stand for this level of incompetence. Bobby Cox has ruined this franchise for a long time……I mean in what other universe could a manager go to the playoffs 14 times, win only 1 WS and still keep his job!!
THEN, when he decided to hang it up…..they give it to a Bobby Cox Clone…..are you serious???
Sonny Clusters
September 30th, 2011
5:29 pm
We was so OUTRAGED that we are on the way to the Dairy Queen to settle down some. We will check in later.
GT Alum
September 30th, 2011
5:30 pm
” Swing hard in case you hit something.” Wasn’t that Parrish’s philosophy as a hitter? Wasn’t it a little foolish to expect him to bring anything else as a hitting coach?
sburk
September 30th, 2011
5:30 pm
Sad to think that Liberty will spend any money on this club at all but will be perfectly happy with its tax shelter if they win or not. I exspect things to get much worse than better with this club. The Braves are regional team for the Southeast and draw well in our area but unit Liberty decides to spend and upgrade this team ( manger, G.M. up ) there will be no impovement. Every year at this time there will only be talk of making the wild card or losing it but not being a serious playe
down the stretch.
It is truly sad that the leadership of the Ted Turner days are all gone.He he a great motto that is on his desk it says” Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way” I my view there are alot in the organization that needs to get the hell out of the way.
rally
September 30th, 2011
5:35 pm
Everyone rember that Frank Wren and Terry Francona are old acquaintances. They were team mates in the Montreal farm system at Memphis in 1980.
garcia
September 30th, 2011
5:35 pm
Hire Ichiro’s hitting coach.
Tired Braves Fan
September 30th, 2011
5:36 pm
Braves epic collapse……
NHL leaves Atlanta, for the SECOND time…..
Falcons flailing……
Bulldogs, they have the Bobby Cox disease (ala Mark Richt)….
Hawks….I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I have heard of them….
….I guess Atlanta is Loserville afterall….
GT Alum
September 30th, 2011
5:37 pm
Sonny, if you think Chipper’s never gotten big hits, you haven’t been watching this team very long. Without Chipper getting key hits, this team doesn’t make it to the playoffs 14 straight years. Yes, he had a bad last couple of games and it was disappointing. But you,re what have you done for me lately throwing a good player under the bus is the act of a low class, ignorant so-called fan.
Rafael
September 30th, 2011
5:37 pm
I’m very surprised Larry Parrish was fired after he helped Jason “BUST” Heyward get his ’stroke back… NOT!!!!!! This is GREAT news.
Terry Francona, with 2 World Series Titles as manager, gets fired in Boston. WHY does Fredi Gonzalez (childhood actor who portrayed Ricky Ricardo JR. on the “I Love Lucy” Show) who has NO Playoff managing experience, got RUN OUT OF TOWN in Miami, and shows NO motivational or leadership skills KEEP his job???!!!!
It’s OBVIOUS the team QUIT on Fredi!!! The Braves ballplayers DO NOT respect Fredi, and now he’s LOST the clubhouse as in Florida.
I’m glad Matt Diaz “managed to maintain his sense of humor” in midst of this historical collaspe. I’m glad “Matty” (he rakes lefthanders you know… NOT!!!) thinks the Braves losing is funny. Diaz is a washed-up, pig-in-a-poke, bargain basement, sub-par ballplayer who couldn’t make the roster on ANY other MLB club and has the NERVE to think the Braves collaspe is funny. Diaz is ANOTHER low-life NO TALENT BUM Frank & Fredi will bring back and PLAY next year.
Frank & Fredi, why you’re at it, why not bring back Scott “Proctor” Linebrink?????!!!!!
I’m in SHOCK Wren did NOT have the coconuts to FIRE Fredi!!!!!! Fredi needs to manage in Japan because HE’S RUINED 2 MLB teams now. As Frank “Burns” Wren always says, “Reward the Guilty and punish the Innocent.”
Tired Braves Fan
September 30th, 2011
5:38 pm
Sorry Rally, but everyone knows that Schulholz and Cox pulls the strings behind Wren’s back.
Would love it if it happened….but you know what happens to snowballs in hell….
Joseph Allen McWhorter
September 30th, 2011
5:38 pm
This move makes perfect sense. The 2011 Braves will go down as one of the worst teams in baseball history for hitting with runners in scoring position. I just hope they replace Parrish with a quality well known name. Good move.
para brave
September 30th, 2011
5:38 pm
My God there is hope. Wonder who pulled Fredi aside and told him Larry Parrish or you.
"Chef" Tim Dix
September 30th, 2011
5:39 pm
I was at the game wednesday an I have to question Gonzo’s tactics having Constaza lead off the eight.
Why not have arguably the third best bunter on the team, David Ross leadoff, huh? Should he reach, call in Georgy then.
Tough to be the guy following a legend ( think Ray Goff).
Francona’s availible.
Wren had to fire Gonzo’s batting coach. Wren should fire him.
Bruce White
September 30th, 2011
5:40 pm
I don;t think freddie is the man. Hey Frank think about Francona, and Chipper, I love you man but its time to retire
The Living Legend
September 30th, 2011
5:41 pm
Hire Mark Grace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is a HITTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Didn;t swing for the fence every time, worked the count, etc. Plus, great mentor for Freeman at 1B.
rally
September 30th, 2011
5:41 pm
Tito Francona palyed for the Braves in 1967, 1968, and 1969.
SR
September 30th, 2011
5:42 pm
Enter your comments here
Najeh Davenpoop
September 30th, 2011
5:43 pm
I gotta say, I am impressed with what Frank Wren is saying about all this. No canned, vague quotes like Fredi. Wren knows that changes need to be made, both in personnel and execution, and he’s not afraid to say it. He pretty much called out Heyward for not producing and I like that he didn’t stand for keeping Parrish around after he didn’t give him satisfactory answers.
The results have been mixed at times, but Wren is not afraid to make changes, and that is a good thing — especially from the point of view of a Hawks fan who has to put up with Rick Sund.
tdc
September 30th, 2011
5:44 pm
phil
Fire FG tomorrow and grab Francona….
I agree!
tdc
September 30th, 2011
5:45 pm
Mark who are some good canidates?
tdc
September 30th, 2011
5:47 pm
I say fire Freddi. This team is to comfortable. Need a shake up.
chem
September 30th, 2011
5:50 pm
It’s a shame that Frank Wren had to step in to remove Lowe from the rotation. Fredi should have done it earlier.
willie
September 30th, 2011
5:52 pm
How about firing some players?
Stinger2
September 30th, 2011
5:54 pm
Do all those who are saying the Braves should hire Francona know why they are doing so?
Tired Braves Fan
September 30th, 2011
5:54 pm
oh yeah…..fire the hitting coach…..that’s a novel idea that no other club has ever done…..like that’s gonna solve everything, right???
NRBQ
September 30th, 2011
5:55 pm
Parrish was a career .263 hitter (15 years) who batted 300 once (307) hit 30 homers twice (high: 32), and had 100 rbi twice (high: 101). He averaged 116 K’s per year.
Tired Braves Fan
September 30th, 2011
5:55 pm
Stinger2…..simple really…..he’s won two World Championships….that’s why….next question
BosnianBaller
September 30th, 2011
5:56 pm
Hire Milt Thompson!!!!!!!!!