It’s a long season, but time might not be on the Braves’ side
A sight seldom seen thus far: The Atlanta Braves in the process of scoring runs. (AP photo)
Update: The Braves are no longer 0-3. They’re 0-4. They lost to the Astros on Monday by five runs, which takes some doing. And now we return to regularly scheduled programming.
Stipulation: It’s a long season. It’s so long that, by the time the Braves finish their regular season, the Georgia Bulldogs — who haven’t yet gotten to G-Day — will have played five actual games. To judge a baseball team off its first series is akin to rating an NFL club on how it handles the opening kickoff of Week 1. That said …
The Braves didn’t enter 2012 with the benefit of the doubt carried by most winning teams. The Braves, as we know, went 9-18 in September 2011. They began the new season by getting swept by a team picked to finish last in the National League East. The awoke Monday having gone 9-21 over the past 30 regular-season games. That’s a winning percentage of .300. Carried over a 162-game schedule, that rate would yield a 49-113 record, which would be the worst in Atlanta annals.
But enough non-fun with numbers. I don’t expect the Braves to lose 113 games. I’m on record as believing they’ll win 92 or thereabouts and make the playoffs, perhaps as NL East champ. I thought last week — and think still — that this is a good team. But even Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm couldn’t fail to note that the Braves of Opening Weekend 2012 bore a lamentable likeness to the Braves of September 2011.
The Epic Collapse ended with them being swept by Philadelphia. The new season commenced with another sweep. Midway through Game 2, the issue wasn’t so much if they’d win — they didn’t lead in the series — but if they’d manage a run. Six innings into Game 3, they hadn’t even mustered a hit.
The weekend’s unhappy totals: Seven runs, 14 hits, 11 walks against 25 strikeouts, an on-base percentage of .238 and a team batting average of .151. Come back, Larry Parrish! All is forgiven!
I’m kidding about the last part. But black humor will soon give way to utter bleakness if the Braves don’t start to hit and win. There’s no consolation in noting that the Yankees and Red Sox likewise started 0-3, or that the Marlins were 1-3, or that the Phillies scored one fewer run in their first three games than did the local Hitless Wonders. At this point, the Braves can’t worry about anyone else. They’ve got to get themselves right.
A team coming off an egregious September — and then a pretty rotten spring training, not that spring training counts — needs to win games and influence people, and it needs to do it soon. Otherwise the doubters will be in full cry, and some of that doubt will spread to the clubhouse. It was never going to be easy for the Braves to put September 2011 behind them, but it will be impossible if April 2012 becomes more of the same.
Baseball isn’t so much a game of momentum — momentum is tomorrow’s starting pitching, to quote the apt phrase — as belief. Even good teams have crummy weeks. By Memorial Day, though, you can begin to tell which teams, in their heart of hearts, see themselves as winners. The same Braves roster in a different year might be able to shrug off an awful April; I’m not sure this one can.
A sorry start could impel Frank Wren to start making trades. He resisted the urge over the winter, but he’s not by nature the most patient of general managers. Some of you will say: “Wren needs to be making trades hand over fist!” Even if he does, beggars tend not to be choosy. Would Wren in right-the-ship mode be able to wait for a sweet deal — getting Michael Bourn without sacrificing a prime arm — or would desperation trump good sense?
Nor would a poor April augur well for the biggest hire of Wren’s tenure. Fredi Gonzalez was seen as such an obvious successor to Bobby Cox that the GM didn’t bother to interview anyone else. To suggest that the collapse was all the manager’s fault is to ignore the obvious: Gonzalez’s best starting pitchers got hurt. But when a team falls to pieces at the shank of one season and makes almost no personnel changes, the front office has essentially said: “We’ve got enough talent.” When a team believed to have enough talent doesn’t win, what usually happens?
I know, I know. A week from now, this could all be moot. The Braves could go on a tear and claim first place and Gonzalez could be managing this club for the next 15 years. It is, let’s say again, a long season. But the 2012 Braves are already on the clock.
By Mark Bradley
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
317 comments Add your comment
Ten Bears
April 9th, 2012
7:56 pm
The Publix story is gold, Clusters! Keep ‘em coming
K
April 9th, 2012
8:09 pm
Awesome start! 1-12 mccann. pathetic
4th place finish in 2012
April 9th, 2012
8:10 pm
1-2-3 top of the first. Lifeless at-bats…swinging at slop….
And we were supposed to start off the year 4-2/5-1 against the Mets/Astros?
realist
April 9th, 2012
8:11 pm
Over/under on number of games before FG is gone? I say 75.
jmor
April 9th, 2012
8:17 pm
This team is not good…The highest paid player never plays and the stud right fielder appears to be a bust. The pitchers take turns gettinc elbow surgery and the manager is overmatched.
Bobby Bobby
April 9th, 2012
8:18 pm
MB you are so wrong on Braves. Poor Ownership, bad decisions by GM ( DLowe at 4-15mil- vs 3-10 by next bidder for 1) change in draft philosophy ( college kids get less of a bonus cost less to get ready) Diaz a regular starter? A -AAA SS( plan B a AA player) JJ far from the same. Livan at 37 only starter that could go 200IP ( when and if he starts) This Larry Wayne Jr world tour will not help. That does not even touch the field mgr FG. He has little input with who is on his staff and who plays ( see his every coach will be back statement) day before FW fired LP. I could go on
Sonny Clusters
April 9th, 2012
8:21 pm
Well, here we go. Four games. Four lineups. Diaz in 3 of the first 4 games. Francisco starts tonight and Heyward sits. Pastornicky is back at short and should be rested and ready to go. Chipper got a cowboy hat and everybody in Houston is hoping he’ll be tipping it tonight. We was wondering if Travis Buck, batting 3rd for Houston, is a Buck Commander? We was also wondering if any of the Braves players are going to get to be a Buck Commander? Which one would it be? Somebody with Pop-Pie arms?
Sonny Clusters
April 9th, 2012
8:23 pm
We was just filtered. Facing this lineup may turn Happ into Happy.
P B Orr
April 9th, 2012
8:25 pm
I got rid of Meebo!!!
dawg4u
April 9th, 2012
8:30 pm
I have to give kudos to Mark Bradley for being the eternal optimist for the Braves despite the way they ended last season and the ugly start for the first three games this year. I’ll give you credit in that whatever your predictions are whether right or wrong – you always stand behind them and remind us that you were right or wrong and can take the heat as well as the credit. I hope you are right that they will still win 90 plus games. I couldn’t even come within 10 of that number.
Big Al!!
April 9th, 2012
8:42 pm
Hey, look on the bright side. By the middle of the 2012 season, tickets will be very easy to come by. May get to be like the late 80’s and early 90’s when you could go to the park and sit just about anywhere. The Braves are looking like the true Braves.
Mark Bradley
April 9th, 2012
8:47 pm
Braves lead! Braves lead! (Two- zip in Texas.)
dawg4u
April 9th, 2012
8:54 pm
I’m feeling almost giddy with a Braves’ lead even though it’s the ‘Stros. A lead against any team is good.
kevkat
April 9th, 2012
9:06 pm
The braves pitchers continue to throw a ton of pitches..
4th place finish in 2012
April 9th, 2012
9:08 pm
Great Braves defense on display…
kevkat
April 9th, 2012
9:08 pm
Now i see why
katherine
April 9th, 2012
9:08 pm
well they have to start somewhere
4th place finish in 2012
April 9th, 2012
9:09 pm
,,,While it may look nice to see the Braves up 3-0 in the early going tonight against the Astros….I wouldn’t put too much stock in assuming that we’ve turned the corner if the Braves win today. Barry Zito threw a complete game, 4 hit, no walk shutout at Coors Field today against the Rockies. Does that mean that Zito’s “turned it around” after stinking up the place dung during the first 4 years of that albatross of a contract the Giants signed him to? I think not.
It’s going to take a heck of a lot more than one shutout for Zito to get the benefit of the doubt….just like it’s going to take the Braves more than one potential blowout win tonight….to get that same benefit of the doubt. A lot more….given what happened in September, in Spring Training…as well as the first 3 games of the season. A lot more…..
4th place finish in 2012
April 9th, 2012
9:10 pm
How many times have I seen Brian McCann let a ball pop out of his glove on throws from the outfield on bang bang plays at the plate over the years?
Sonny Clusters
April 9th, 2012
9:12 pm
They can’t play with a lead. The left side of the infield is going to be a mess this year. McCann has dropsy. The game is now tied. We was wondering if Fredi is paying attention?
TenaciousD
April 9th, 2012
9:28 pm
70-92
NoUpgrades=NoPlayoffs
April 9th, 2012
9:31 pm
Same team. Same Result. Or worse. This team looks pretty bad.
b
April 9th, 2012
9:38 pm
I’m concerned about our big three young guns. Teheran,Delgado, and Vizciano seemed to have gone backwards.
get rid of wren and freddi
April 9th, 2012
9:44 pm
the braves will be below 500 ball , they hire a manager that got run out of miami , did not pick up
any players in off season, you watch what i am saying , they will be 14 games back by all star game and no one will attend games….last year showed freddi cannot handle pitching staff and mc dowell
needed to be fired…..the team is going south and will end up in last place with same record as astros…
Sonny Clusters
April 9th, 2012
9:49 pm
Derek Lowe pitched 7 strong innings for Cleveland. Asked the difference this year and last he said he had gone back to throwing his sinker – his best pitch. He said he’d gotten away from the sinker while in Atlanta going 0-5 in September. We don’t know what he was throwing when he was here but it was something everybody could hit. With McDowell here you’d think everybody would be throwing a sinker but what do we know? When we was playing ball we always liked it when somebody threw us his best pitch because we was expecting it being a Clusters and we would usually drive it to the deepest part of the ballpark and out into the parking lot. One time, we hit a ball so hard that Coach came up to us after the game and said, “Clusters, you sure hit that ball hard.” Coach was always a cut up.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Unexpectedly Revised Downward)
April 9th, 2012
9:53 pm
It’s getting really hard to tell whether Chipper has retired or not.
DQBrazier
April 9th, 2012
9:53 pm
Clusters, How is Stinky Wentes?
Lil' Barry Bailout (Unexpectedly Revised Downward)
April 9th, 2012
9:55 pm
It’s 1990 all over again! Tune in tonight to see how the Braves blow it! Will it be crummy defense, scoring zero runs, running themselves out of an inning or three, or their overrated pitching getting slapped around?
Chilidawg
April 9th, 2012
10:02 pm
I’ve given up on the Braves because they do not have the money to compete. The bottom line is nothing will change until Liberty sells them. Liberty bought the Braves to take advantage of the tax laws. They are not motivated to make money through baseball operations.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Unexpectedly Revised Downward)
April 9th, 2012
10:03 pm
The Braves “big arms” are dominating again tonight…holding AAA Houston to five runs with one out in the sixth.
TN Jeff
April 9th, 2012
10:08 pm
Hedging your bets there Bradley. This team thrives on choking under pressure and they are putting pressure on themselves early this year. Chipper will be back tomorrow for about a week and we’ll see what an inspiration that’ll bring to the team. Love how Prado (the only clutch hitter on the team) is benched tonight for the weak bat no fielding Fransico.
Heath
April 9th, 2012
10:13 pm
Oh, the humanity…
It’s not often you see 4 errors from a major league team in 6 innings. Next thing you know Chuck Tanner is going to come down and promise a ticker tape parade down Peachtree.
DQBrazier
April 9th, 2012
10:19 pm
Clusters, we was told Buck Belue has a ticket promotion”$8 Buck Nights”? Any thoughts?
DQBrazier
April 9th, 2012
10:21 pm
Clusters, we was told Buck Belue has a “$8 Buck Nights” ticket promotions goin’. What are your thoughts?
extremus
April 9th, 2012
10:23 pm
If the Mayan prophecy turns out to be correct, then the way the Braves are playing at least our last summer will be nice and LOOONNG.
And yes, I’m joking…about the Mayan thing.
Really?
April 9th, 2012
10:30 pm
meebo hater… me too.. you can hide it .. right click on the right bottom corner and complain to the AJC as I did… it’s annoying to say the least
Vinning Braves
April 9th, 2012
10:33 pm
We need a new Hitting Coach. I thought we suppose to let Larry Parrish go ? Why is he still coaching the Braves? They look like they just started from where they left off last night. No timely hitting at all. The problem like last year the pitchers have to pitch a perfect game to get a win. I feel sorry for the pitchers, they have no room for error.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
April 9th, 2012
10:42 pm
now this game is just flat out pathetic….good night braves!! you had a chance but ya’blew it!!
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
April 9th, 2012
10:44 pm
another pathetic outing by the braves…thinking a sweep by the astros is in the cards
tmc
April 9th, 2012
10:47 pm
The Braves are looking GREAT! I can’t wait for spring training to be over and we start playing some real games….
oh, wait. we’re 0-4 against the Mets and the Astros? what the…
i see no life in this team, at all.
tmc
April 9th, 2012
10:48 pm
and meebow BLOWS!
Get rid of it AJC.
rugburn
April 9th, 2012
10:49 pm
maybe we need to let all the starters rest. bring up gwinnett and let them play.
Robbie in confusion
April 9th, 2012
10:53 pm
I know now what the braves manager and coaches are going on the road as the singing group “Asleep at the Wheel”! Who the hell is advising Durbin what to throw? It certainly isn’t a hanging curve with the count 1 and 2! This indeed is going to be a very very long season with the Cox clone on the pines…..
Robbie in confusion
April 9th, 2012
10:56 pm
Are the players issued their own forks?
jo
April 9th, 2012
10:57 pm
I wonder now that the braves officially stink., if we can get back to $1 tickets to see chief nocahoma. Good times people.!
Robbie in confusion
April 9th, 2012
11:02 pm
One more post before I go….I have observed that McCann is afraid of being hit by a runner coming home and thus will drop the ball or not catch the ball 8 times out of 10!
Richard
April 9th, 2012
11:07 pm
Maybe the answer may be to get rid of Diaz. I think our record is 8-22 since we got him back. He may have brought a jinx back with him from the Pirates. I like Diaz, but we won’t miss him much if you want to see if there is a jinx. May not be the problem, but you got to start somewhere.
4th place finish in 2012
April 9th, 2012
11:08 pm
The sad thing is that no one from the Atlanta Press has the stones to seriously question Braves management about why they choose to stand pat during the off season.
September collapse….looking terrible during Spring Training….starting the year 0-4 against two last place clubs from 2011….what more proof is needed that what happened in September isnt a fluke?
Sure, we looked good during the first 5 months of 2011. However, baseball is a mirror of life: You have to adjust and evolve…or you perish. For whatever reason, this group simply does not have it in them (whether it is the fault of the players themselves, Braves management or coaching) to evolve and make those adjustments.
Regardless of whether it is true or not…the perception is that Liberty Media could care less about whether the Braves win or not…what matters to Liberty more is that the Braves dont lose money. Perception matters in this world. Braves management and players all know this. If you dont have to worry about an owner breathing down your neck expecting resulting…..your play on the field doesnt have to reflect that sense of urgency.
Same thing with parenting. If one’s parents takes little interest in one’s progress academically….where’s the pressure to study hard and succeed in school? Most children, if left to their own devices…will take the easy way out and chill…if their parents arent going to hover over them. Ball players are no different. Our players dont have to worry about playing with a sense of urgency…because they dont have to worry about management holding them accountable. Instead, they can take comfort in the likes of Fredi Gonzalez using the proverbial blog favored “tipping the hat to the other team” or “they hit it right where they werent” or “they hit really good pitches” or “injuries” or “bad umpiring”, etc when explaining why the Braves lost.
True Braves fans need to fill the blogs and talk radio with their constant displeasure with the way things are going….as well as stay away from Turner Field. The ONLY way to really get Liberty’s attention…is to affect what matters to them most: their bottom line. By taking away home attendance revenue that is essential to the Braves making a profit……maybe Liberty will decide to institute changes that will hopefully get the Braves back on track to where we used to be.
Billy
April 9th, 2012
11:08 pm
trade McCann while he has some value. The guy has gone in deep freeze.
Mark Bradley
April 9th, 2012
11:10 pm
The Braves, as you know, are 0-3 no more. They’re 0-4. I wish I could tell you I understand this, but I haven’t the foggiest.
They’ve gone 9-22 since Aug. 31, 2011. And on that cheery note I bid you goodnight.