What do the Braves do with Minor? There aren’t many options
Mike Minor in a start at Colorado earlier this month. It wasn't good, either. (AP photo)
Fredi Gonzalez said Wednesday night that he thought Mike Minor threw very well — for three innings. Which he did. Minor carried a no-hitter into the fourth. He was gone five outs later, having yielded seven base runners in the span of 10 Miami batters. For the fourth consecutive start, Minor was charged with at least six earned runs. His ERA rose to 7.09.
It’s clear that Minor is becoming a bit of a mess. After Wednesday’s game he said he let down his teammates, the organization and the fans. He said he didn’t want the other Braves looking at him wondering if this start was going to be as bad as last week’s, didn’t want them thinking they’d have to score a lot of runs to win — which had happened both at Colorado and St. Louis — just because Minor is pitching.
Minor is hard on himself, and you can see why. Last month he worked 7 1/3 one-hit innings against Milwaukee, which can hit, and followed that with eight strong innings in Arizona. After three starts, his ERA was 3.10. The past four starts have been awful — 20 2/3 innings, 32 hits (plus 10 walks), 27 earned runs. He’s still striking out people (23 K’s in those 20 2/3 innings), which suggests his stuff isn’t the issue. “I’m just making too many non-competitive pitches,” Minor said Wednesday.
Clearly the Braves want Minor to succeed. You’ll recall that Jair Jurrjens was shipped to Gwinnett after four similarly bad starts. The difference: Jurrjens was bad in spring training, too; Minor was actually quite good in Florida. Minor has at least given the Braves a reason to think he can get people out.
That said, this can’t go on forever. When Minor falls apart, he falls apart completely. Omar Infante led off the fourth with a line single to left, the Marlins’ first hit. Minor then hit Hanley Ramirez in the back and yielded a two-run double to Austin Kearns, whom he would strike out twice. Miami scored three runs in the fourth. The fifth began with singles by Jose Reyes and Infante and would produce three more runs. One bad inning begat another, and soon Minor was gone and his team was facing a five-run deficit.
The Braves’ hitting has been such that they’ve managed to win a few such games, but you’re not going to outslug everybody all the time. The Braves’ starting rotation has the second-worst ERA among National League teams, leading only Colorado. The reasons for that alarming number are Jurrjens, who’s no longer on the 25-man roster, and Minor, who’s still in the rotation.
It’s weird. All spring everyone was worried that the Braves wouldn’t hit, but they have. At issue now is the commodity that seemed to be a given — starting pitching. But what to do about Minor?
“Keep running him out there,” said Gonzalez, the manager, and there really aren’t many other options. Jurrjens just yielded 12 hits and 10 earned runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Class AAA Buffalo Bisons. Moving Kris Medlen from relief wouldn’t do anything to sort out Minor and would mess up the bullpen to boot. Promoting Julio Teheran from Gwinnett would leave the big-league club without a left-handed starter, which isn’t what anybody has in mind.
The good thing is that the Braves aren’t in free-fall. They’ve lost one game in a row to fall a half-game out of first place. For all Minor’s struggles, they’ve worked around most of them, winning five of his eight starts. Over the long haul though, they need him to be a lot better. They need a lefty, and he’s the only one of those on the horizon.
There’s also this: The Braves didn’t draft this Vanderbilt lefty No. 7 overall in 2009 because they thought he’d look spiffy in middle relief. They did it because they thought he would be a big-league starting pitcher very soon. Sure enough, he’s one now. Just not a very good one.
By Mark Bradley
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211 comments Add your comment
jerry
May 17th, 2012
4:27 pm
As soon as the pitching comes around, they will stop hitting. Bank it.
West GA Braves Fan
May 17th, 2012
4:52 pm
It’s time to move Minor to long relief and try Medlen as a starter.
Hopefully, Wren is still trying to trade Jurjens.
Did anyone ever sign Roy Oswalt? He might help stabilize this young group of starters.
BavadoFever
May 17th, 2012
4:58 pm
If I’m Fredi, I just tip my cap to Minor
GAKnight
May 17th, 2012
5:03 pm
Can you spell :Kris Medlen”?
137 Years of Inepitude for A City With 3 Pro Teams
May 17th, 2012
5:08 pm
Dear Mark, I’ll ask your opinion. The Braves moved here in 66, The Falcons started in 66 and the Hawks moved in 67. That’s 3 teams who have played a combined 137 years(not counting 2012) and combined have won 1 World Championship. I’m not even factoring in the 2 hockey teams that never won a Stanley Cup. Why do you think ineptitude of this magnitude has not been discussed on the national level. There is only 1 “big league” city???, Cleveland, that has 3 or more teams that has not won at least 2 World Championships in that time frame. Remember, Buffalo only has one pro sports team. We are right in this with Cleveland and yet nobody mentions us. Why is that? And I really don’t want to hear about the “pennants” draping the facade–good word–at Turner Field. I’m talking CHAMPIONSHIPS
Necromancer
May 17th, 2012
5:44 pm
Tip your cap to Minor. He pitched some good ball….for about 3 to 4 innings! lol
danny
May 17th, 2012
5:46 pm
Clearly something has to be done with the guy. I mean, he is not expected to be the second coming of Glavine, but he is not even giving the team a reasonable chance to win.
Braves old fan
May 17th, 2012
5:50 pm
It is obvious what is wrong with Minor and I am shocked the Braves brass do not realize it.Take a look at the last several years of all of the left handed pitchers who gave the Braves trouble including Santana,Hamel,Lee,Maholm,last nights pitcher,and a bunch of no name guys,they all have one thing in common a slow curve ball in the 70’s mph range including last night who threw 60% of his pitches that way.Minor’s fastball is right at 90.91 and his change up around 85 not a big enough difference .Hopefully,there is someone in the organization who can teach him a 70’s mph slow curve and that would cure the problem even if you don’t throw it for strikes all of the time.Delgado has a good one and Hanson used one against the Cardinals and Livan has used one his whole career.This is all Minor needs and should have been worked on in spring training.As a starter you have to have at least 3 or 4 quality pitches to show as the game goes on or they will figure you out.My favorite pitch is the backup fastball that Maddox would use to both sides of the plate to both L and R handed hitters.Medan has a pretty good one.So Braves coaches please get working on Minors slow curve.
A-Ville Ranger
May 17th, 2012
5:50 pm
Minor has completely lost his footing because he doesn’t have the makeup to be successful. You don’t throw good money after bad just because you had ideas of what he could be. So we keep throwing him out there till he’s cost 10 games in the standing and cost everybody the season ? I’d start Hernandez before I’d let Minor spit the bit again.
eric
May 17th, 2012
5:58 pm
i can’t stand the resident closer kimbrel… ican’t stand how he bends down and looks and he got chunky legs to go along with resident “fatty” lol
Norris
May 17th, 2012
6:21 pm
If we continue to run him out there every 5 days then we are going to owe Lowe an apology!! lol
Jay Dubu
May 17th, 2012
6:43 pm
The Braves pitched two seasons back to back without a lefty starter, and now they’re going to leave an ineffective lefty in the rotation just to say they have a lefty starter?
Stop it!!!! What’s the true reason?
Put the best 5 starters in the rotation, and find bullpen guys whereever they keep getting the likes of Durbin, Sherrill, Linebrink, etc.
You mean to tell me they can’t find one of those guys available to move Medlen to the rotation?
Why do they want so very ad not to have Medlen in the rotation? What gives?
Jay Dubu
May 17th, 2012
6:48 pm
Move Medlen to the rotation, and Minor to the pen. Fredi said he pitched good for 3+ innings….that will get the job done every 3 days!!!
Problem solved!
Stinger 2
May 17th, 2012
7:24 pm
Several post have mentioned that Minor said he wanted to be traded. I missed what that is all about but, based on his latest performances, I suggest the Braves accommodate him.
ab initio
May 17th, 2012
7:31 pm
Send McDowell packing. Send the coach in AAA packing. Bring in either Mazzone, or someone who can effectively fix this mess once and for all.
MattInAtl
May 17th, 2012
7:36 pm
Last sentence change: Just a very bad one.
Delbert D.
May 17th, 2012
8:22 pm
Left-handed knuckleballer would be something to see. Heck, Smoltz experimented with it. Minor could.
Ralph
May 17th, 2012
9:14 pm
Another pitching option would be to bring up Buddy Carlyle for long relief in place of Mellen and move Meds into the 5th starter spot. Buddy has been pitching lights out and has his diabetes under control now.
Karma
May 17th, 2012
9:15 pm
Minor is still young. Strikes guys out so he has the talent. Just needs to learn strategy and not lose it mentally when guys start to get on. Way too early to give up on him. That being said if he needs to spend time in Gwinnett so be it. If he is unraveling fredi needs to keep him on short leash and not allow the huge inning.
Bobby Bragan
May 17th, 2012
9:18 pm
Another question, what to do with Venters?
Not the same guy as last year, that’s for sure.
For now Hanson, Hudson, Delgado and Beachy for sure, are doing good enough thus far in starting.
Kimbrel is getting it done closing so far.
Dow
May 17th, 2012
9:18 pm
disappointing, but mixed results to-date. As Fredi sez, in the absence of other alternatives, you keep ruunin’ him out there. Big upside potential.
Stumpknocker
May 17th, 2012
9:56 pm
Not knocking on McCann, but let Ross catch him next start. If that doesn’t work, see if they can get Glavine or Smoltz or maybe both to get in this kids’ head.
Tom
May 17th, 2012
10:12 pm
move minor to the pen, first time through line up minor is good, can be the long man stick medlen in the rotation.
Tom
May 17th, 2012
10:14 pm
minor has me having Chuck James flashbacks
Quack Quack
May 17th, 2012
10:22 pm
Great complete shut-out game for Beechy!!
FW…Sign Bourn….Give Prado a raise!!!
GO BRAVES!! This is just too much fun…..
noseknows
May 17th, 2012
11:05 pm
Saw him pitch at Vandy and change was his best pitch (Glavine). Fastball has very little movement so he better be able to spot it. Needs to work hard with the slider or curve and then throw all 3 pitches in game and NOT rely on fastball as much as he does now.
Steve
May 18th, 2012
1:29 am
This year’s Derek Lowe?
BravesFAN
May 18th, 2012
1:29 am
If Vizciano was healthy I have a feeling Fredi and Frank Wren would have already sent Minor down and moved Medlen into the starting rotation. The lack of a righty outside of our closer in the pen is what’s keeping Medlen in the bullpen. Let’s be honest Fredi doesn’t trust C-Mart and Livan as the only righties in the Pen that he can use before the 9th.
Really hope the fat Aussie (Moylan) rehabs like a mad man and gets up to the majors asap. We could use a little more depth in the pen to allow us to free up Medlen’s arm.
For everybody saying Medlen can’t be a starting pitcher the Braves went into this season knowing they would likely use Medlen for a few spot starts or more possibly. They’d probably send him to Gwinnett let him go through the rotation twice throwing no more than 5 innings and then give him a few spot starts in Atlanta until Minor, JJ, or Teheran proved they were ready for the majors or deserved a shot.
Wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Medlen in the starting rotation this year for the Braves and based on what he’s done in the majors so far as a SP and out of the pen I’d be shocked if Medlen didn’t perform well as a starter. Medlen will most definitely post a sub 4.00 ERA probably something in the 3.50 range which would be great for a 5th starter.
BravesFAN
May 18th, 2012
1:34 am
By the way, anybody saying we need to send Roger Mcdowell packing knows absolutely nothing about the game of baseball. Roger Mcdowell is one of the best and most respected pitching coaches in all of the major leagues. When you see guys like Hanson, Hudson, and Beachy go on a string of runs you almost always hear yea me and Roger worked on a few things and he told me to do this instead of this. The entire pitching staff and bullpen would be ****** if the Braves fired Mcdowell. Since he has been here the Braves have had one of the best pitching staffs in the majors. Any idiot that says we should fire him literally knows NOTHING about baseball…
Medlen....why not?
May 18th, 2012
2:06 am
Okay, Medlen to the rotation would change the bullpen’s dynamics. Let’s not forget that Medlen was
a better pitcher, in almost all statistical measurements, than Hanson in minor league ball. He’s never had a real chance to start. Isn’t a solid, dependable starter more important to a team, and harder to find, than any reliever not called ‘closer’.?
Easy Breezey
May 18th, 2012
6:55 am
Three strong innings….hmmmm let’s see. Does the term set-up man give ya any ideas? …..Shoot, thats what we are lacking outside of Livan atm.
Ralph
May 18th, 2012
7:30 am
Medlen’s career is wasting away in the pen, there are other pitchers that can do what he is doing in the pen, Minor. Gearrin, Caarlyle to mention a few. And I want to remind Fruti that we missed the playoff’s by 1 game last year so just keep “sending Minor out there” dumm ass and let history repeat it’s self’
Columbus
May 18th, 2012
7:57 am
Growing pains. Most rookies have them. The question is how many starts to give him? We need a lefty for sure. Glavine didnt win the Cy Young his first year either. He gets through the order great the first time but the second and 3rd time around suck BUT if he doesnt pitch, he doesnt figure out how to get them out the second time. It is a process and it looks like he needs another pitch and/or game plan the 2nd time through the order. His era is high but he can bring it down. The game in Colorado hurt that era and hes not the first for that to happen BUT….
its the 2nd time through the batting order he has to figure out. But will he? I think so. But dont know if it will be sooner or later….
hildred shumake
May 18th, 2012
8:18 am
It is all emotional!!! Where is Smoltz’s sports psychologist??? Try hypnosis!! he obviously has the ability;he can be good three innings if he is isn’t “good”….
LoyalDawg
May 18th, 2012
8:38 am
I know it is against “the book”, but I think you may have to go with a right for a while. This is obviously mental, so they need to get him with some that help in that area. He’s got the stuff, but he has to develop a tougher mind set. Either that or they only let him go 3 or 4 innings and then pull him which will not help his confidence at all.
BravesHawk44
May 18th, 2012
8:48 am
Glavine said it the best, Minor stated he could not get confortable with his second pitch to use his best pitch so Glavine said he needs to move his best pitch up or start with his best pitch. Its about location and timing. If he pitches 92 MPH, an offspeed pitch of 90 MPH will give him another pitch to work with, so I believe Minor’s problem is mental and coaching, or just being stubborn.
Eric
May 18th, 2012
9:22 am
Roy Oswalt is still out there!!!!!!!
The Braves’ Week in Review: May 11-17 | BreslinSports.com
May 18th, 2012
10:18 am
[...] getting it done this month, but as Mark Bradley from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution explains, we can’t really demote Minor. In both of his two starts this week, Minor didn’t make it out of the fifth inning, allowing [...]
MCollins
May 18th, 2012
10:40 am
To: bvillebaron – Enough left-handed arms in the bullpen? We only have O’Flaherty and Venters as our LH bullpen arms, which makes having at least one LH starter pretty important. The issue is coaching. How many prospects are we going to watch McDowell ruin? They come up, and pitch very well at first…and then the more they are coached by him, the worse they get. Case in point – Davies, Boyer, Reyes, Jurrjens, James.
TDub
May 18th, 2012
12:35 pm
Is Smoltz’s old psychiatrist who set him straight years ago still in business? Seems like we might have another patient for him…
don
May 18th, 2012
12:37 pm
Matt Harrison would have looked good in the rotation.
Joshua
May 18th, 2012
3:52 pm
Guys – it’s not a psychological thing or a confidence thing. The dude only throws 2 plus pitches – and MLB hitters know how to attack that. That’s why he’s good the first time or 2 through the order then he falls to pieces. He will likely never be an adequate starter. We need to drop him to the pen – to heck with where he was drafted.
Disgusted
May 18th, 2012
7:59 pm
Two more starts for Minor. If he does not put up, then fire the BUMB!!!!
He deserves to be Booed. What an overrated prospect that turned into fools gold. Another high first round pick that is on the verge of the ATL legends of Audray Bruce, Patrik Stefan, Shelden Williams, Bruce Pickens, and so many others that do not do the job.
How many more busts can we take.
Biff Pocorobot
May 18th, 2012
10:49 pm
The answer is always to fire Fredi, of course, but the twist this time would be to make it retroactive to the beginning of Minor’s collapse!
Michael Dean
May 19th, 2012
9:00 am
I would start Medlin and let him go 5 innings, if he can. After that, Minor for 3.They could share the start. Whoever has the lowest ERA goes first.
Where are the vaunted pitchers
May 19th, 2012
8:59 pm
Where all these great talent pitchers the Braves are supposed to have? Minor Sucks! Delgado Sucks! Roger McDowell Sucks!!!!! What a bunch of LOSERS!
And most of All:
May 19th, 2012
9:02 pm
And most of all Fredi Gonzales SUCKS BIG TIME as a major league manager – Fire the Bum!
TarHeelBraves
May 19th, 2012
9:47 pm
Sign Bourn to a long term deal. How much money will be available with Chipper retiring? Minor is still young and shouldn’t be given up on.
squat
May 20th, 2012
11:47 am
Braves never spend the $ to get good player’s….We need a change at the top..
Mark
May 20th, 2012
8:31 pm
Minors control has to improve greatly or he’ll never stay in the bigs. 89 to 91 mph fastballs placed poorly and pitching behind in the count with an average change is JoJo Reyes revisited. Hope he gets it straightened out.